One look at the street style of celebrities that year shows that Hollywood's elite were, well, rich. But in 2024, stars like Jennifer Lopez, Haley Bieber, Rihanna, and Taylor Swift tended to wear their bank account balances and billionaire ratings on their sleeves.

The beige tyranny of “quiet luxury”-a term coined in early 2023 to describe fine, minimalist fashion that shows wealth in its simplicity-has come to an end this year in celebrity street style. Instead of plain neutral colors and obscure leather bags, celebrities' everyday wear (at least outside of the red carpet) was voluminous with exaggerated textures, bold prints, unusual jewelry, and logos so large they could be seen from space. Even if these outfits included the proverbial accessible “lows,” like Ugg boots, Birkenstock sandals, and Longchamp Le Pliage bags, the celebrities styled them with outfits as “high” as Everest. Forget about being “the same” as their biggest fans, these outfits reminded the viewer that they were in the stratosphere, out of reach.

There is more than one way for celebrities to embrace the Loud Luxury trend: for A-listers, Loud Luxury means wearing $10,000 worth of leopard print to church (like Hailey Bieber in Toteme and Saint Laurent), Or going to dinner in vintage Dolce & Gabbana furs and an equally fuzzy Louis Vuitton bag (like Rihanna). Match your Chanel flap bag with all the sequins, florals, and animal prints in your wardrobe (like Blake Lively). Or, if you're Selena Gomez, to debut your billionaire status with a Prada bag and endless designer little black dresses via Saint Laurent, Valentino, and Versace.

But no celebrity embodies the flamboyant luxury trend better than Jennifer Lopez and her Birkin bag collection. Lopez wore at least ten Birkins, Hermès' most recognizable luxury item, this year. In previous years, she often carried a Birkin with gym clothes and jeans, but in 2024, she paired the Birkin with an oversized fur coat, see-through naked shoes, and a printed dress. In a year partially defined by divorce and tour stops, Lopez's clothing choices told the tabloids that no matter what happened, she would continue to live up to her voice. And in her world, there is no better retail therapy than buying a new Kelly bag.

The dominance of the glitzy luxury trend has extended to celebrities who normally reserve their biggest designers for the red carpet and world tours. Taylor Swift has shed some of her Girl Next Door street style signature in favor of bold logos and “bejeweled” accessories, from $54,000 Louis Vuitton watches to Dior saddle bags to Gucci patterned outfits. She is at the peak of her musical career and has stopped trying to hide her life, relationships, and ambitions, according to an interview with Time Person of the Year in 2023. Her custom-made diamond ring and Chanel chain necklace are manifestations of that personal mission.

Overall, part of the new rise of the flashy luxury trend is that the fashion pendulum is working at its best. Throughout the Paris, Milan, and New York shows, designers abandoned secret-mode styling for sequins, animal prints, and exaggerated shapes that take up space. They also revived archival pieces from the early '90s, such as Louis Vuitton's Speedy and Balenciaga's City Bag. Meanwhile, the Data But Make It Fashion website reports that searches for “quiet luxury” are down nationwide. Staying under the radar doesn't last very long. Even celebrities, some of whom have disappeared for a time, are making a big comeback again.

And for the A-list, there is a stronger connection between the runway and real life than how the other 99.9% of people dress. Celebrity street style is pure self-expression as well as business. There is also the street style of layering a double-G or -C logo because they are contractually obligated to include it. According to Reuters, as global sales of luxury goods begin to decline and with it the spending power of the average shopper, designers are relying on their most influential ambassadors and walking billboards to keep the desire alive until the market recovers and more people can treat themselves to a luxury bag or shoe. They are trying to ignite and maintain interest.

The flashy luxury trend can also be viewed through a more straightforward lens. This is especially true of newly minted billionaires like Swift and Gomez, who seem eager to show that their success and spending power stems directly from their own efforts. And in the post-girlboss, post-cancel-culture Internet, they can tune out the online “eat the rich” criticism at the sound of their Birkin charms singing their little tune.

So the next time you see Haley Bieber in her $90 Adidas or Selena Gomez in her Birkenstock sandals, you better believe their friends Louis, Fendi, and Prada are nearby. Because they are not like us.