Published
Oct 20, 2021
Reading time
4 minutes
Download
Download the article
Print
Text size

Balenciaga tops Q3 Lyst Index, Prada bag is hottest women's product

Published
Oct 20, 2021

The Q3 Lyst index has been released with Balenciaga the hottest brand, followed by Gucci in second place and Dior snapping at their heels at number three. 


Balenciaga - Fall-Winter2020 - Womenswear - Paris - © PixelFormula



Meanwhile, Prada’s raffia tote bag was the product of the quarter for women while Adidas Yeezy foam runner shoes took the prize for men.

The July to September period was a crucial three months in fashion as in-person runway shows made a comeback, while star-studded events including the Met Gala, the Emmys and the VMAs generated buzz. 

Consumers also attended more social gatherings “and sought dressier styles, as well as resortwear”. That was despite the Delta variant rising and travel remaining constrained and meant “demand for fashion was strong”. In fact, Lyst said that “revenue surpassed pre-pandemic levels at major luxury brands, and the ongoing shift to e-commerce continued apace”.

The global fashion shopping platform is used by more than 150 million people each year to browse, discover and buy from 17,000 brands and stores so it has a rich store of data available to compile the index. But it also uses Google search data, as well as social media mentions and engagement statistics worldwide.

As mentioned, Balenciaga was in top spot as it leapt five places. That came as the label returned to haute couture after 53 years, launched a Fortnite collaboration, and teamed up with Kanye West on the launch of his Donda album. Its presence at the Met Gala “catalysed countless memes and social posts, causing searches for the brand to spike 505%”. And the momentum continued after the quarter ended with The Simpsons show at Paris Fashion Week

To reach the top spot, it supplanted the previous number one, fellow Kering stablemate Gucci. The Italian powerhouse may not be number one for now, but it clearly remains one of the hottest fashion brand properties with a regular top three place.

Dior in third place also fell one spot but continued to generate a strong buzz as it held its latest couture and SS22 RTW shows, the Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams exhibition opened in New York and it announced a new partnership with Paris Saint-Germain football club.

Behind them in the rest of the top 10 were Prada, Louis Vuitton, Nike, Bottega Veneta, Versace, Fendi and Saint Laurent.

Meanwhile the rest of the top 20 comprised Moncler, Burberry, Valentino, Off-White, Loewe, Alexander McQueen, Givenchy, Balmain, Jacquemus and Dolce & Gabbana.

The latter actually re-entered the hottest brands list for the first time since 2019, having climbed five spots. Celebrities including Jennifer Lopez attended the Alta Sartoria show in Venice and Dolce & Gabbana organised workshops for students in collaboration with Istituto Marangoni

PRODUCT POWER

As mentioned, Prada nabbed the top spot for women’s product with its raffia tote bag leading the women’s hottest products list. This nodded to the TikTok trend for crochet and underlined the wider strength of bags this time as society reopened and consumers felt a need to refresh their bag collections. That also meant Balenciaga’s new Le Cagole bag made it to sixth place. And having been in the women’s hottest products list twice previously, Telfar’s shopping bag made this quarter’s men’s list in fourth place. 


Prada



Other popular women’s products were the Versace Medusa Aevitas platform pumps in second spot; Bottega Veneta terry slides  third; Nike React Vapor NXT sneakers fourth (searches for Nike tennis shoes rose 86% after Emma Raducanu won the US Open); JW Anderson chain loafer mules; that Balenciaga bag; Jacquemus La Maille Pralù cardigan seventh; then the Roxanne Assoulin bracelet set, a Totême striped sweater and Emma Brewin bucket hat rounding out the top 10. The last of these was a clear sign that the bucket hat remains a key item.

Lyst added that searches for high heels increased 177% compared to the same quarter in 2020, while demand for going-out and sexier bodycon styles grew too. Celebrity approved pieces such as Versace’s Medusa Aevitas platforms — worn by Ariana Grande, Beyoncé and Dua Lipa — and Jacquemus’s cardigan — seen on Megan Fox and Hailey Bieber — underlined the importance of celebrity endorsement.

Meanwhile for men, it was the second consecutive quarter that a pair of Adidas Yeezy shoes took top spot. Searches for the Yeezy foam runners spiked 411% due to the release of two new colourways, as well as “a sustained increase in demand for resin and rubber footwear”. Having converted to practical, slip-on shoes earlier in the pandemic, “shoppers are now seeking evolved silhouettes and styles of these staples”, Lyst said. 

In second place came Oakley Radar EV Path sunglasses, ahead of Prada’s Cloudbust Thunder sneakers and that Telfar bag. Next was the ERL quilted down jacket, Valentino VLTN T-shirt, On Running Cloud sneakers (making their make their second appearance in the men’s hottest products list in seventh place). Rounding out the top 10 were the Jacquemus Le Bob Gadjo hat, Eliou Circus beaded necklace and Pangaia text print sweatshirt.

Copyright © 2024 FashionNetwork.com All rights reserved.