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Fashion has been churning through trends (and micro-trends) at breakneck speed as of late. Silver trousers were replaced by boxer shorts which became obsolete once the Mob Wife aesthetic took over. Last year red and dark chocolate were the fashion set’s preferred shades, this year burgundy reigns supreme (a luxurious blend of the two).
With everyone seemingly promoting a different thing, product or look, it can be hard to sift through the noise and discern what’s actually considered fashionable these days but people’s online shopping habits are a good place to start. Enter the Lyst Index, a quarterly ranking of the hottest brands and items worldwide.
For those of you unfamiliar with Lyst, they’re a fashion technology company and premium shopping app used by more than 200 million people each year. Every couple of months, they compile a listicle of the most popular things their users have been splurging on. How do they determine what’s hot and what’s not? According to their website, the formula behind the Lyst Index takes into account Lyst shoppers’ behaviour, including searches on and off the platform, product views and sales. They also track social media mentions, activity and engagement statistics worldwide.
In quarter one, Miu Miu reigned supreme. In quarter two, it was all about Loewe (thanks in no small part to Zendaya and her Challengers press tour). As for quarter three? The data shows that Miu Miu reclaimed its top spot but Alaïa enjoyed a huge surge in popularity too, moving up 12 positions and establishing themselves as ones to watch.
Is luxury loosening its chokehold on The Lyst Index? Perhaps. The platform’s third-quarter report reveals a big summer shake-up with four new entrants making the chart and opening the playing field up to other premium and contemporary labels. As per their research: “September’s show season, usually a peak inspiration moment for luxury fashion shoppers, failed to galvanise demand from customers faced with soaring prices, global economic instability, and a darkening geo-political climate.” What does that mean? The aspirational fashion fan is still shopping but they’re more open-minded when it comes to the brands worth investing in now.
That said, Miu Miu’s return to number one proves that the bigwigs won’t go down without a fight. In fact, global demand for their distinctive alt-girl aesthetic is up 30% quarter on quarter with the suede Arcadie bag – currently retailing for upwards of €2,300 – amongst their most coveted products.
Other valuable mentions include Ralph Lauren – product engagement spiked 151% in Q3 – Toteme and Victoria Beckham which ranked at number 16 and 19 respectively. Unsurprisingly, Chloé also made its way into the top 20 for the first time, with Lyst commending creative director Chemena Kamali for ushering in a “boho revival”.
Here are the top 20 hottest brands:
As for the hottest products? Alaïa took the gold for their highly sought-after fishnet ballet flats which first featured on the Lyst Index’s Hottest Products ranking in Q2 2023. Can they maintain the same momentum going into Q4? That remains to be seen. Other key shoe styles featured include the €110 Puma Speedcats, the quarter’s third hottest product as seen on Dua Lipa, Emily Ratajkowski, and Troye Sivan; Ganni’s biker boots and Clarks original Wallabees. Footwear aside, it seems shoppers were most interested in sunglasses, suede shoulder bags, country jackets and pleated piper pants (try saying that in a hurry).
Looking ahead, Lyst predicts “more turbulence” in the index as fashion’s power brands “compete to capture holiday spending” this festive season. Meet you back here in three months…