Lyst Index: Off-White, Balenciaga and Nike named world’s hottest brands

Off-White has retained its title as the hottest fashion brand on the planet for the third quarter in a row, with luxury Spanish label Balenciaga moving one spot up in the rankings to second place and US sportswear giant Nike leaping nine spots to third place.

That’s according to the latest Index by fashion search platform Lyst which analysed the online shopping behaviour of over nine million shoppers a month.

The Lyst 2020 Q1 index revealed that Off-White retained its crown as hottest brand in a quarter that saw the luxury-meets-streetwear label launch a Lunar New Year capsule collection and debut its sneaker collaboration with Air Jordan IV at Paris Fashion Week.

Balenciaga managed to move to second position after a hugely successful ‘end of the world’ themed runway show in Paris at the beginning of March, a stark statement on the Australia wildfires and Covid-19 outbreak in China which were dominating the news at the time.

Nike managed to leap nine places to third spot thanks to a number of global initiatives and increased consumer demand during lockdown for items such as hoodies, sweatpants and shorts.

The following 17 hottest brands in the top 20 were Gucci, Prada, Moncler, Fendi, Valentino, Saint Laurent, Versace, Burberry, Stone Island, Bottega Veneta, Givenchy, Jacquemus, Vetements, Raf Simons, Loewe, Thom Browne and Rick Owens.

Covid-19 sees consumers shift to comfort and practicality

This was anything but a normal quarter, as Covid-19 wreaked havoc across the world and people got used to a completely new way of life. That massive shift was reflected in the hottest products list as consumers looked for comfort and practicality over formality.

A 95 dollar arrow facemask by Off-White was the hottest men’s product in the world. The mask sold out globally and is now being listed for up to three times its original price on resale platforms. There was a 496 percent surge in searches for fashion face masks in the quarter.

Other key menswear items were Loewe’s colourful Eln fleece zip sweater which came in second place - searches for the item surged 88 percent after it was worn by the likes of actor Timothée Chalamet and Justin Bieber - as well as Nike Kobe 4 Protro Carpe Diem sneakers which were released following the death of basketball superstar Kobe Bryant in January.

In womenswear, Bottega Veneta's padded Cassette bag took the top place on a list dominated by statement loungewear. Anine Bing’s tiger sweatshirt came in fifth place, with page views of the sweatshirt surging 418 percent in the week following the release of Netflix Original show Tiger King, while New Balance 993 sneakers and Nike Air fleece joggers also made the list.

Lyst CEO and founder Chris Morton commented in the report: “The Lyst Index shows that consumer allegiance to powerful brands remains strong, even in these uncertain times. But the way in which people interact with brands and shop for fashion is changing fast. The Covid-19 crisis is accelerating shifts that were already happening in our industry, and catalyzing further changes.

“In this unprecedented moment, digital is more important than ever to fashion brands. Information and communication are key for our community. Those who adapt quickly to the changing landscape, using data-backed decisions while drawing on their core strengths, will be best placed to thrive.”

Photo credit: Off-White, Facebook