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Fashion Planet observers are not bored at the moment.<\/p>\n
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The fashion world has been in turmoil in recent months, with the arrival of new designers at a dozen major fashion houses (Matthieu Blazy at Chanel, Jonathan Anderson at Dior, Demna at Gucci, Pierpaolo Piccioli at Balenciaga, Louise Trotter at Bottega Veneta, Glenn Martens at Maison Margiela, Michael Rider at Celine, Simone Bellotti at Jil Sander, and Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez at Loewe<\/strong>…).<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n And the latest quarterly edition (July, August, September 2025) of the Lyst<\/b> ranking itself is the scene of many upheavals.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n A true barometer of trends, the Lyst Index identifies, every three months, the 20 most popular luxury fashion houses and the ten most sought-after products<\/b>. To do this, Lyst sifts through the purchasing habits of customers on its fashion platform (160 million buyers per year), as well as online searches on Lyst and Google, social media engagement, and global media coverage.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThe third-quarter Lyst Index comes at a turning point for fashion.<\/b> The season reflects an unusual mix of moods, uncertainty for brands in transition, and clarity for those focusing on what they do best,” say the authors of the ranking.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n All but three of the brands in the ranking (Coach, Skims, and Valentino<\/b>, which came in last in the top 20) changed position this quarter. There have already been three big surprises, not least of which is the arrival of Saint Laurent<\/b>, a subsidiary of the Kering group, at the top of the ranking of th<\/b>e most popular brands<\/b> for the first time, thanks to a three-place gain since the second quarter.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Also a star of the third quarter, COS, the premium line of the H&M group,<\/b> took third place<\/b> in the ranking, moving up four places.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Much less fortunate, the House of Loewe, owned by LVMH<\/b>, \u201cis feeling the loss of Jonathan Anderson and drops six places<\/b>,\u201d falling from second to eighth place.<\/b><\/p>\n <\/p>\n For its part, Saint Laurent dethroned Miu Miu from its top spot. Benefiting from the launch of its Miutine fragrance, the more accessible and very popular brand from the Prada group nevertheless remains at the top of the rankings, in second place.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Saint Laurent’s rise to the podium is not in line with its sales<\/b>: the Kering subsidiary’s revenue fell by 4% on a comparable basis from 7% to \u20ac620 million in the third quarter of 2025. Nor has it benefited from a change in artistic direction, as Anthony Vaccarello has been designing its collections since 2016.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n But according to Lyst, it is precisely this consistency that serves the Parisian fashion house well. \u201cWhile others are rewriting their codes, Saint Laurent’s writing has only become more precise<\/b>. The consistency of the silhouettes, the elegant sensuality and the unwavering confidence continue to stand out.\u201d This \u201crefined, subtle, sophisticated\u201d Saint Laurent philosophy is evident in its moccasin model, Le Loafer<\/b>, retailing at $1,000. The latter is the second most popular product<\/b> in Lyst’s third-quarter rankings, with searches up 66%.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n But other factors have also boosted Saint Laurent’s visibility, such as its summer campaign in Los Angeles featuring 1980s supermodel Kate Moss and Mert Alas, its production of Jim Jarmusch’s film Father Mother Sister Brother, winner of the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival, and its spring-summer 2026 fashion show under the Eiffel Tower.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The 147% surge in searches for the COS brand<\/b> was also driven by a product that is the focus of desire: its thick cashmere sweater, the third most searched-for<\/b> product in the third quarter. \u201cFirst appearing in the fourth quarter of 2024,\u201d \u201cthis model embodies the brand’s appeal: architectural simplicity, understated warmth, and tactile minimalism that conveys a sense of maturity without rigidity,\u201d explains Lyst.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Another brand embodying quiet luxury (albeit at a higher price point), The Row climbed two places to fourth, thanks to a 28% increase in demand this quarter. Here again, the momentum came from a popular product, fourth in the ranking, also loafers (Eel), \u201cfitting perfectly into the aesthetic dialogue with those of Saint Laurent.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Also boosted by a popular accessory, in this case the Empire bag, the tenth most popular product of the quarter, the American brand Coach retained fifth place in the ranking, with a 29% increase in searches. Lyst also mentions \u201cstrong social buzz supported by renowned sports ambassadors, product placements in The Devil Wears Prada 2<\/b>, and a partnership with The Summer I Turned Pretty<\/b>.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Still in the Top 10 winners, climbing to ninth place thanks to a two-place<\/b> rise (and a 6% increase in quarterly searches), Ralph Lauren<\/b> can thank the ultra-popular singer and businesswoman Taylor Swift<\/b>. By choosing to wear a striped dress from the American brand at her engagement party, she made it the ninth most searched-for product<\/b> last quarter. This popularity rubbed off on Ralph Lauren.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n SKIMS remained in fifteenth place, with \u201cdemand up 271%<\/b> compared to last year,\u201d thanks in particular to the \u201cNipple Bra,\u201d<\/b> the tenth most popular product. This controversial bra with visible nipples \u201csaw a 69% increase in searches in August, proving once again the brand’s ability to turn conversations into conversions.\u201d \u201cViral launches such as the Face Wrap also helped maintain the brand’s cultural dominance and brought customers back to flagship products,\u201d explains Lyst.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Three other luxury houses owe their comebacks (each climbing four places) not to the popularity of a particular product, but to the interest generated by their designers, whether they are new arrivals or have managed to stay on course.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Versace<\/b> has climbed to twelfth place, buoyed by the first fashion shows and campaigns of Dario Vitale<\/b>, former creative director of the popular fashion house Miu Miu<\/b>, who was appointed last March to replace the indomitable Donatella<\/b> after her 28-year reign.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n British icon Burberry climbs to thirteenth place, with a 14% increase in demand, which Lyst attributes to \u201cthe repositioning of Daniel Lee (who arrived at the end of 2022, editor’s note) as creative director, finding his audience.\u201d Finally, Gucci<\/b>, in search of a new lease of life, benefited from the arrival of its new designer, Demna (formerly of Balenciaga),<\/b> who stood out at Milan Fashion Week in September with a film-style fashion show called \u201cThe Tiger,\u201d<\/b> preceded by a resounding campaign for his collection \u201cLa Famiglia.\u201d<\/b> Thanks to this effective buzz, Kering’s flagship brand took fourteenth place<\/b>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Also noteworthy is the comeback of Italian brand Stone Island (owned by the Moncler<\/b> group since 2020) in the index, in nineteenth place<\/b>, after four years of absence from the Top 20, thanks to a sharp 115% increase<\/b> in demand. \u201cA long-standing pillar of casual subculture, the brand attracted mainstream attention this quarter, buoyed by the halo effect of the Oasis<\/b> reunion concerts, proving that identity, when deeply rooted, can transcend trend cycles,\u201d explains Lyst.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n One man’s joy is another man’s sorrow, as other fashion houses have suffered from the rise of their competitors in the Lyst Top 20 ranking.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n In addition to Loewe, already mentioned, the brand Ala\u00efa (Richemont group) also plummeted six places, falling to eighteenth place. Finally, Prada, losing two places, still remains in the top 10 of the ranking, in sixth place.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Finally, in the top 10 most sought-after products, we can also note the first place<\/b> won by Havaianas for its black flip-flops<\/b>, which are very understated, sixth place<\/b> awarded to the Slim Simmetry clutch bag<\/b> from the young brand Savette<\/b>, founded in 2020 by Amy Zurek<\/b>, and finally two Nike models<\/b>. The Moon Shoe<\/b>, a collaboration with the must-have Jacquemus<\/b>, and the Nike Shox<\/b> came in seventh and eighth<\/b> place, respectively.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n This prompted Lyst to ask: \u201cIs Nike back?<\/b>\u201d And to answer: “A 7% increase in demand on Lyst this quarter suggests a strong comeback<\/b>. With two products in the most popular list, the brand proves that the combination of design, nostalgia, and collaboration remains a winning formula. Under the leadership of its new CEO, Elliot Hill (appointed at the end of 2024)<\/b>, Nike has returned to its roots, refocusing on performance and innovation to concentrate on athlete-centric design and strategic partnerships, including the Nike Skims collaboration<\/b> launched at the very end of the quarter.” A latest product that could well find its way into a future Lyst ranking…<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOverall, the third quarter results reveal a fashion landscape that is regaining its balance after several unstable seasons<\/b>,\u201d Lyst concludes. New creative leaders are still settling in, but those with a clear direction, such as Saint Laurent, The Row, and COS, are proving that conviction is the key to clarity<\/b>. It’s time for brands to be brave; the world’s most popular brands don’t follow the trend, they set it.\u201c<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n But something doesn’t add up in this ranking. Officially, the Lyst ranking<\/b> \u201dtakes into account the behavior of Lyst shoppers, including searches on and off the platform, product views, and sales. To track the popularity of brands and products<\/b>, the formula also incorporates social media mentions, activity, and engagement statistics on a global scale, over a three-month period<\/b>.\u201c<\/p>\n <\/p>\n However, as luxury expert Susanna Nicoletti<\/b> points out, \u201dsomething may be wrong with the algorithm if desire does not correspond to an increase in sales…”<\/b><\/p>\n <\/p>\n But if, according to the Lyst ranking, Saint Laurent<\/b> is more popular than Miu Miu<\/b>, how is it that Saint Laurent’s third quarter results<\/b> show a 7%<\/b> and 4% decline in comparable revenues, while the first nine months of 2025 show a 10% and 8% decline in comparable revenues?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The expert points out on her LinkedIn account that \u201cbuzz is just hot air; it’s revenue that pays salaries and builds a brand’s reputation.<\/b>\u201d According to her, this attraction to buzz<\/b> is not unrelated to the recruitment of artistic directors who are more popular on social media<\/b> than they are professional and talented, reflecting a short-term strategy.<\/p>\n <\/p>\nSeveral surprises<\/h2>\n
Jonathan Loewe’s departure costs Loewe six places<\/h2>\n
Saint Laurent served by its consistency<\/h2>\n
COS and The Row, winners of Quiet Luxury<\/h2>\n
Ralph Lauren boosted by Taylor Swift’s engagement dress<\/h2>\n
The aura of designers<\/h2>\n
Loewe, Alaia, and Prada in decline<\/h2>\n
An incentive for courage…<\/h2>\n
A ranking that raises questions, however…<\/h2>\n