Loewe is world's hottest brand, tops Lyst Index for first time

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Jul 19, 2023

It was something of a big moment on Wednesday as Lyst announced its latest Index, for Q2, and a fresh name appeared at the top of the ranking as the most in-demand brand globally. So which label was the hottest in the world from April to June? Step forward Loewe. The LVMH-owned brand beat those names more accustomed to occupying top spot such as Gucci, Prada and Balenciaga.

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Creatively directed by Jonathan Anderson, it saw searches up 19% this quarter with Lyst saying its “commitment to craftsmanship and creativity” succeeded in “capturing the imagination of different cohorts of customers, driving brand heat that’s backed up by surging demand and sales for hero products online”.

And interestingly, as well as the designer heading the top 20 via Loewe, Anderson’s eponymous JW Anderson label also rounded it off, retaining the number 20 position at which it entered the top 20 in Q1.

The rest of the top 10 comprised Prada dropping one place; Versace up five in third spot; Miu Miu down two in fourth place; Botttega Veneta up one at number five; then Valentino down two; Saint Laurent up three; Moncler down five; Gucci static at number nine; and Dior up one in 10th spot.

Numbers 11 to 20 were more of a mixture of price points (albeit skewed to luxury), going from Louis Vuitton in 11th spot, though Dolce & Gabbana, Diesel, Burberry, Jacquemus, SKIMS, Nike, Fendi and the aforementioned JW Anderson. 

Balenciaga managed to rise two places to number 16, having made a big return on the Cannes Film Festival red carpet, so it will be interesting to see whether it can climb back into the top 10 and ever get close to regaining its lustre as the world’s hottest label.

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Versace meanwhile is doing much better and was among the fastest risers for a second quarter in a row to reach its highest ranking since The Lyst Index began. Building on the strong momentum it gathered in the first quarter, the brand has continued to capitalise on its star power — working with Anne Hathaway and Dua Lipa — to reach a wider audience. 

Vuitton also rose two spots this time, helped by Pharrell Williams’ highly anticipated debut menswear show “created a blockbuster pop culture moment at unprecedented scale, boosting social buzz around the brand”. 

BREAKOUT BRANDS AND HOT PRODUCTS

Lyst said that the quarter’s ‘Breakout Brands’, (“rising fast on a powerful and rapid upwards trajectory”) were Goyard, Posse and Loro Piana.

Goyard, worn by A$AP Rocky and Brooke Shields, celebrated its 170th anniversary with searches up 95% in the quarter. 

Australia’s Posse saw a 31% rise in searches for the brand that nods to ‘quiet luxury’, “the most talked about trend of the quarter”. The Alice linen mini dress was its trending product and the label was worn by Sofia Richie, Selena Gomez and Lily Aldridge. 

As for Loro Piana, Lyst said it benefited from the “Succession effect”, with searches up 35%. Its trending product was the Babouche suede mules and the brand was worn by Gigi Hadid and Gwyneth Paltrow. 

And talking of hot products, in some ways the key items of the quarter reflected the top labels, but there were also plenty of other in-demand pieces from brands not in the top 20.

Loewe had two products in the hottest list – the Anagram tank top, spotted on Kylie Jenner, was the hottest product of the quarter, showing that the tank trend isn’t over yet.

And its raffia tote bag was fourth. It’s interesting that this popularity came some years after its initial release with the basket bag having now “secured cult accessory status” and demand for the Paula’s Ibiza editions spiking again “thanks to smart seasonal updates on the timeless design”. 

Onitsuka Tiger’s Mexico 66 sneakers took second place, generating over 113 million views on TikTok “as Y2K-inspired trends continue to spark excitement among Gen Z shoppers”. They’ve been worn by Bella Hadid and Kaia Gerber. 

Versace’s Maxi Medusa Biggie sunglasses were in third place and were the top sunglasses of the quarter, boosted by Dua Lipa. In fact, Lyst said ‘It’ luxe sunglasses “remain a powerful category for designers this quarter” as demand continued to rise 35% over the past three months. 

New Balance’s Aimé Leon Dore shoes were the fifth-hottest products, and like the Onitsuka Tiger, underlined the ongoing importance of sneakers.

Agolde’s jorts made the Hottest Products list in sixth position with jorts being a trending search term, embraced by big names such as Hailey Bieber, Gigi Hadd and A$AP Rocky, and backed by retailers across all price points this summer. 

Alaia’s mesh flats (seventh place), The Row’s Ginza flip flops (eighth) and a Loro Piana baseball cap (at number 10) entered the Hottest Products list “as new ‘quiet luxury’ icons”. 

Finally, another item that has been around for some time made it to number nine. Longchamp’s affordable Le Pliage bag “benefited from shoppers’ intense nostalgia for 90s/00s trends” and searches increased 56% for the brand.