Chanel's Gravitational Pull
LAUNCHMETRICS
This quarter marks a structural shift for the Lyst Index. Our updated methodology centres on three interconnected dimensions of data — Desire, Demand, and Discovery — reflecting how “brand heat” functions in 2026. Demand tracks the Lyst platform fundamentals: searches, purchase intent and sales along with repeat engagement, brand-specific queries, and sustained interest over time. Desire captures cultural visibility — how these brands are endorsed across creators and digital communities, showing the volume and intensity of cultural appetite for a fashion brand or product online. Discovery, meanwhile, demonstrates where products and brands surface in customer journeys utilizing emerging pathways like AI-led search. Together, these signals reward consistency over spikes, and coherence over noise. Generating a moment matters less than sustaining attention — and converting it.
Within this framework, Chanel is this quarter’s hottest brand. Under Matthieu Blazy’s new creative direction, the French maison is refreshing its universe without losing recognizability. Categories like footwear and bags have been recontextualized in a way that feels current, giving both new and existing customers a clear way in. That momentum is translating directly into product, with two Chanel pieces ranking among the ten hottest this quarter: a pair of shoes that went viral on social media and are now consistently sold out, and a reinvention of the classic flap bag, proving the house can drive both novelty and continuity at scale.
Dior, joining the Lyst Index at number three, is operating with similar clarity. Its strength lies in a tightly constructed world that extends beyond product into image, narrative, and consistency. Under the new methodology, that coherence drives Discovery. Dior is showing up in a way that feels aligned across channels, clearly establishing Jonathan Anderson’s vision for the house wherever audiences encounter it.
Gucci is this quarter’s biggest mover, climbing four places. Momentum is building around Demna’s debut, with a 12% day-on-day lift following the show and the highest demand share among designers who showed in Milan in February. The response is more polarised, but that tension is part of the appeal. From looksmaxxing discourse to ‘Buy Now, Wear Now’ immediacy, Gucci is leaning into indulgence, both cultural and commercial. This idea of world-building extends beyond luxury. Zara emerges as a breakout not by competing on heritage, but by aligning itself with credible creative voices.
20%
of the hottest brands are new entries for q1-26
DIOR
ZARA
Zara is effectively harnessing cultural capital, using it to construct something that feels directional enough to sit within the same broader conversation as luxury. That positioning is being amplified by wider cultural moments, with fashion-adjacent visibility like Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl presence pushing Zara into the same spaces we saw last year with Kendrick Lamar and Celine. The result is a brand that feels more embedded in culture than its price point would suggest. This reflects a broader behavioral shift: consumers are not just buying products, but buying into narratives they have already encountered elsewhere.
The clearest signal this quarter is the resurgence of ’90s minimalism, catalysed by Love Story and renewed interest in Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy’s style. The impact is quantifiable: searches for black turtleneck knits rose 217% after the first episode, straight-leg denim demand has climbed steadily on Lyst, and Calvin Klein saw a 43% week-on-week lift following the finale, reflecting a broader halo effect at brand level.
At the same time, highly specific items are cutting through — most notably the Kangol flat cap, which ranked tenth among the hottest products and saw a 14% uplift among menswear shoppers during the show’s run — illustrating how a single, recognisable reference can rapidly convert into purchase behaviour. This points to a wider shift in search dynamics: in an AI-influenced landscape, journeys are increasingly reference-led rather than product-led. Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy becomes the search term — a proxy for mood, identity and aesthetic from which product discovery follows.
The same pattern appears elsewhere: demand for Vivienne Westwood’s satin dress surged by 890%, driven by the release and press tour wardrobe of Wuthering Heights. These are not isolated spikes, but part of a broader shift where fashion is discovered through adjacent culture, then translated into purchase through new, more fluid digital journeys.
What the updated Index captures is how these layers interact. Discovery drives Desire, Desire drives Demand, and Demand, in turn, fuels further Discovery. Brands can no longer rely on heritage or product alone. They need to exist within a wider cultural ecosystem where image, narrative, and accessibility reinforce one another.
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Zara
A global fashion retailer known for its fast-paced design and production model, translating runway and cultural trends into accessible, ready-to-wear collections. The brand operates at scale while increasingly collaborating with established designers to sharpen its creative credibility.
128.2M
VIEWERS WATCHED BAD BUNNY PERFORM IN A ZARA SUIT AT THE SUPER BOWL LX HALFTIME SHOW
Vivienne Westwood
An iconic British fashion house rooted in punk, subversion and historical reference, known for its distinctive silhouettes and draped constructions. The brand continues to balance its rebellious heritage with a strong focus on craftsmanship and cultural commentary.
+88%
QuARTER-ON-QUARTER RISE IN DEMAND for VIVIENNE WESTWOOD Corset dress
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Calvin Klein
A brand defined by its minimalist aesthetic and focus on clean, modern essentials across apparel, underwear and fragrance. It has played a central role in shaping contemporary ideas of understated, logo-driven style since the 1990s.
+43%
rise in weekly calvin klein searches following the love story finale
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