Couture Denim Is Stepping Into Its Main-Character Moment

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times)

Rhinestones, dramatic hems and upcycled craftsmanship are giving jeans a bold new identity

• PUBLISHED: Thu 26 Feb 2026, 12:46 PM

• By:
• Louise Nichol

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“I wouldn't wear denim to a red carpet‭, ‬to a funeral‭, ‬or to a wedding‭,‬”‭ ‬says Dubai-based fashion designer Mariam Yehia‭. ‬Other than that‭, ‬all bets are off‭. ‬Yehia's decade-old brand‭, ‬Mrs Keepa‭ ‬-‭ ‬the name is an homage to her husband‭ ‬-‭ ‬has gradually expanded its denim offering to a full line of high-octane styles‭ (‬calling them jeans would be a disservice to the‭ ‬couture-level aesthetic‭).

‬This evolution mirrors denim's ongoing glow-up‭, ‬from the basic‭ ‬'jeans-and-a-nice-top'‭ ‬going-out outfit of my formative years‭, ‬to the main character energy of denim in 2026‭. ‬Mrs Keepa's‭ ‬'MK Signature Denim Pants'‭ ‬have a hem circumference of a whopping 135cm‭. ‬Per leg‭. ‬That's wider than many a ballgown‭, ‬despite Yehia's assertion that she's not quite ready for jeans on the red carpet‭.‬

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The beauty of OTT denim is that you can stand out sartorially without running the risk of being overdressed‭, ‬overly formal‭, ‬or looking like a contestant on‭ ‬The Apprentice‭. ‬Rhinestones‭, ‬cut-outs‭, ‬acres of volume‭, ‬it's all perfectly acceptable at any time of day when it comes in denim form‭. ‬Much of the most interesting denim around is being driven by labels‭, ‬such as Yehia's‭, ‬that aren't traditionally jeans brands‭.

‬“I didn't introduce it in my very first collections because Mrs Keepa is very eclectic and every piece has something to say‭. ‬To just introduce a pair of jeans that doesn't have a flavour isn't something I was keen to do‭,‬”‭ ‬Yehia says‭. ‬When she did finally launch the category two years ago‭, ‬it took weeks to perfect the process‭. ‬

Now‭, ‬Yehia manufactures basic jeans in a factory‭, ‬before upcycling three pairs to create just one of her signature pieces‭. ‬“It cannot be done in a factory‭, ‬it needs a lot of handwork‭,‬”‭ ‬she explains of the atelier construction‭. ‬

As for those extra-wide hems‭, ‬“The volume is super well studied‭, ‬so it's big volume‭, ‬yet done in a way that‭ ‬flatters the body and does not make the person look bulky‭,‬”‭ ‬Yehia says‭. ‬

Speaking from personal experience‭, ‬I concur‭. ‬Massive jeans can be massively flattering‭. ‬Earlier this month‭, ‬I hosted a fashion event wearing a giant pair of jeans by A.W.A.K.E‭. ‬Mode and was flooded with messages asking where to get them‭ (‬Ounass‭). ‬Self-Portrait also does great rhinestones and embellished jeans‭, ‬injecting the staple with its partywear flair‭. ‬

These high-low fashion hybrids are perhaps no surprise‭. ‬We are reluctant to relinquish the comfort that Covid ushered into the decade's defining style‭, ‬but neither are we fading quietly into the fashion background‭. ‬The answer‭? ‬Couture-energy plus casual execution equals wardrobe‭ ‬jeanius‭.‬

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