Fashion’s Hottest Brands and Products Q1 2022

Fashion Marches Forward

Three months is a long time in fashion. When season two of Euphoria dropped in January, with 26.6 million hashtags for #euphoriafashion on TikTok, a surge in fun, fantasy fashion searches had us predicting post-pandemic party vibes. Fast forward to March, and the mood was much more sombre. “In a time like this, fashion loses its relevance and its actual right to exist” wrote Demna, in a statement issued before Balenciaga’s Fall/Winter 2022 show. The international fashion community had gathered IRL for the first time in two years, watching high-octane runway shows, while war unfolded in Ukraine.

This quarter’s Lyst Index is proof of fashion’s existence in these turbulent times. It tells the stories of what the world wants to wear, and the brands that shape that narrative. Retaining the number one spot as the world’s hottest brand, Balenciaga is re-writing the rules of what it means to be a luxury fashion brand today, and supercharging customer intent in the process. In terms of generating brand heat, social buzz and hard sales around key product, Demna’s Balenciaga seems untouchable right now; demand for the brand on Lyst spiked 108% this quarter.

However, after months of relative stability amongst the Top 20 brands cohort, there’s movement in the Index. Thanks to a buzzy show moment, and a number of celeb appearances on the likes of Dua Lipa, Rihanna and Megan Thee Stallion, Glenn Marten’s Diesel climbs 31 positions to enter The Lyst Index for the first time, at number 15. Miu Miu rockets up 10 places; its viral mini-skirt moment causing a 400% increase in searches for the brand over the last three months. Adidas re-enters at number 17, a collaboration with Gucci spiking demand for both brands.

Rick Owens lands at number 16, jumping 9 places, after a 6 month period outside the top 20. The Rick Owens shopper tribe is growing fast; global searches for the brand jumped 68% this quarter. The Converse collaboration sneakers, now in their fourth season, are popular (this quarter’s release, the DRKStar Chuck 70, was the brand’s hottest product), but demand for Rick’s signature draped tailoring is rising too. Can Rick Owens retain its cult outsider appeal if its aesthetic becomes a mainstream fashion moment?

Meanwhile, the lists of the top products reflect fashion’s current obsession with Y2K youth culture and the eclectic, somewhat erratic, influence of TikTok trends. This quarter’s collection of products is truly a melange of divergent brands and styles, with less of an overarching narrative than we’ve seen in previous editions of the Index. 12 out of the 20 top products this quarter are footwear, but it’s a heady mix, encompassing Moon Boots, UGGs and heels. Loafers make the men’s list for the second quarter in a row, with demand now up 87% over the last year. In number one position on the women's list, sculptural platform boots by Naked Wolfe, as seen all over TikTok (the hashtag #nakedwolfe has 111.2 million views) and on Hailey Bieber, Kourtney Kardashian and Rosalía. In uncertain times, the dynamic energy of youth culture continues to inspire and power the new fashion narrative."