Balenciaga knocks Gucci off top spot as world’s most sought-after brand

After the reign of the house of Gucci, it’s now Balenciaga’s turn to take the position of most popular, or at least most sought-after label online. With its bold fashion designs, some of the buzzy label’s pieces, including the Neo Classic bag, are now considered the most coveted in the world.

A touch of daring, a hint of extravagance, and a good dose of innovation based on new technology… This is clearly the winning formula for winning over the hearts and minds of internet users, especially those of the younger generations, when it comes to fashion.

This is the magic formula employed by Balenciaga and Gucci, which are now at the top of the hottest luxury brands in the world, according to the latest report The Lyst Index* from the fashion search engine Lyst.

Balenciaga named Lyst’s most popular

Balenciaga has held this top spot for the second consecutive quarter, appealing to an ever-widening audience thanks to its numerous collaborations, including “Fortnite” and “The Simpsons,” and its advance into the metaverse. And the label is not expected to stop there, with a highly anticipated collaboration on the way with Yeezy Gap, a project featuring the ultra-famous Kanye West and Gap.

Italian luxury label Prada completes the top three, moving up a spot this quarter, buoyed by the enthusiasm of social network users for its iconic pieces. Notably absent is the label Off-White, founded by late designer Virgil Abloh, who passed away last November.

However, the search platform reminds us that the brand has occupied the first place of The Lyst Index five times since the creation of the ranking 18 quarters ago.

Cozy winter pieces

While homewear, which was very popular at the beginning of the pandemic, is no longer at the forefront, the arrival of winter has put fashion fans’ infatuation with colorful pieces on hold, and is giving way to cozier, more cocooning items.

In women’s wardrobes, this translates into an interest in the ultra-chunky quilted nylon slip-ons from Prada, in fifth in the hottest products ranking as well as in the crochet hood with integrated mask from Miu Miu (9th) and the Tazz slippers from UGG (10th).

At the top of Lyst’s ranking is the Neo Classic bag by Balenciaga, a small-sized model, which comes ahead of an accessory that has become a must-have in recent months: the Re-Nylon bucket hat by Prada. Which isn’t surprising considering that the piece was the subject of a host of videos, related to a challenge, on the social network TikTok.

On the men’s side, the 1953 Horsebit loafers from Gucci are the hottest pieces, ahead of the Seamaster Diver 300 watch from Omega and the Re-Nylon down jacket from Prada.

* To compile these results, Lyst analyzed the online behavior of more than 160 million consumers who search, find and purchase fashion items from 17,000 brands and online stores. The Lyst Index formula takes into account consumer behavior on Lyst, including conversion and sale rates. The study also takes into account Google searches, social media mentions, and global engagement statistics over a three-month period, in this case between October and December 2021.

Read the full report here.

This article was published via AFP.