If you don’t know about The Lyst Index, it is “a quarterly ranking of fashion’s hottest brands and products” compiled by the shopping app Lyst. Lyst’s data gathering method includes analyzing “Lyst shoppers’ behavior, including searches on and off platform, product views and sales” as well as “social media mentions, activity and engagement statistics worldwide.” The Lyst Index was delivered to my inbox last week but I haven’t had time to sit down and check it out until now. So let’s go through the top brands & products of Q1 2024 and I will share my thoughts based on what I’ve been seeing myself.
The Hottest Brands of Q1 2024
Lyst is an inventory free platform with orders fulfilled by partnering brands and stores. While they offer products all the way from fast fashion to top designer brands, The Lyst Index is usually populated with designers who have recently shown at international fashion weeks or frequently collaborate with larger brands.
I am not that surprised by any of the brands in the top 20 this quarter. They are all brands I regularly see at fashion weeks as well as everyday street style. The Q4 2023 Index included Dior, UGG, and Fendi, but they have been pushed out by New Balance, Alaïa, and Dolce & Gabbana.
Looking at past Indexes, Miu Miu, Prada, and Loewe have been vying for the top spot for the last year or so. For Q1, it looks like Miu Miu has pulled ahead with increased interested in their collaboration with brand #15 New Balance and other key pieces (more on that below). There are actually three Miu Miu pieces in the hottest products list, which is a new record set by any Lyst brand. According to Lyst, searches for Miu Miu have increased by 8%, and interest by male shoppers has increased by a whopping 88%. Miu Miu sunglasses, shoes, bags, and basic tops come up first when searching the brand on Lyst.
Miu Miu’s sister brand Prada took spot #2 this quarter. Prada’s popularity is no surprise to me as they have been putting out a lot of wearable but unbelievably elevated and chic designs that make excellent wardrobe staples. Their recommended products on Lyst reflect this. Despite their frequent mind-bending, maximalist runway pieces, brand #3 Loewe also has many covetable basics I see everyday like their anagram tank tops, suede sneakers, and raffia bags.
Lyst notes that Saint Laurent is in the top 5 brands for the first time this quarter, crediting the popularity of Le 5 à 9 bag and sunglasses. Balenciaga has been bouncing back from their 2022 controversy and rose to spot #8 from #12 last quarter, and you will also see their Rodeo bag in the top products list. Burberry and Diesel both fell quite a few rungs on the list, which kind of surprised me based on how much I loved both of their recent runway collections.
The top newcomer to the list is New Balance, which makes sense when you consider their relationship with Miu Miu and see what the hottest product is. Next is Dolce & Gabbana, which Lyst notes dressed Usher and Alicia Keys for the Superbowl. And finally Alaïa, who has been crushing with the popularity of their ballet flats.
A brand I expected to see in the hottest 20 was Adidas due to the overwhelming popularity of the Sambas and Gazelles. But I have to realize that The Lyst Index does not represent all of consumers, and perhaps shoppers are not turning to Lyst for their Adidas fix.
The Hottest Products of Q1 2024
There are some expected pieces in the hottest products list for Q1 2024, but I found a few surprises as well. As I mentioned before, there are three Miu Miu pieces in the top 10 hottest products on Lyst - the Miu Miu x New Balance 530 SL Sneaker, swim briefs, and polo shirt. Let’s break these three products down:
Miu Miu x New Balance 530 SL Sneaker - I was not expecting these sneakers to claim the top spot - if you had asked me, I would have guessed either the Miu Miu x New Balance 574s or a pair of ballet flats. However, the cinnamon color way of the 530 SL sneaker shown above is completely sold out on Miu Miu so I will be keeping my eyes peeled for the style on the streets. I looked back at my Miu Miu street style photos from the past season and I only captured a pair of 530 SLs secondary to shooting a bag 🙃
Swim briefs - the no pants look has been the star of Miu Miu street style for the past few seasons, so the popularity of the swim briefs 100% makes sense for me. This piece can be worn for its designed purpose as we approach summer, but can also be worn as a layering piece as seen on Miu Miu show attendees.
Polo shirt - a classic polo shirt is becoming a must-have basic for 2024 wardrobes as preppy, sporty style is trending (hello Challengers).
Number two on the list are the Khaite Small Julius Panel Earrings. I haven’t seen or heard much buzz about these earrings, but then again I am not too attuned to the jewelry world. But based on general earring styles trending towards oversized and the popularity of the Bottega Veneta drop earrings, I can see why this Khaite style is gaining interest.
Next are the Alaïa jewelled ballet flats, and these come as absolutely no surprise. I have seen an incredible amount of this style (whether actually Alaïa or dupes is to be determined) on the streets lately and predict even more of an increase in popularity as we head into spring and summer.
While it’s not my personal style, I absolutely love that the Carhartt Detroit jacket is #5 on this list. I have been seeing this piece and similar more frequently in street style, and it can be found for under $100 making it the most affordable product in the index.
For the remaining products, I have more truncated thoughts which I will quickly run through:
The Balenciaga Rodeo bag feels like a departure in style from the previous popular Le Cagole and Le City bags - less y2k maximalism, more quiet luxury minimalism.
I frequently see the Rick Owens prong down dress worn outside Rick Owens shows, but is now become the party dress of celebrities including Kim Kardashian and Cardi B.
Taylor Swift worn the Area embellished cut-out jeans to the Superbowl, enough said.
The Saint Laurent Panthos sunglasses are timeless and basic, would make a great everyday pair that’s also a designer splurge.
Phew, alright, we made it through. Please let me know your thoughts about the latest Lyst Index in the comments!
Thanks for reading,
Karya