Hottest brands Q4 2023: An analysis on the LYST Index

The online platform LYST is a free fashion search engine that offers a personalized shopping experience to consumers, as they can choose from a huge selection of brands and partner stores. Every quarter of the year, they put out a report about the trendiest brands that they perceived with the information in their own web. Complex, innovative and intelligent are some of the qualities that reign this ranking, but we are going to start at number 20 and go down to see what happened in the last quarter of 2023, to anticipate for 2024 consumer trends.

Menswear in Milan has not been the same this past season, Silvia Venturini FENDI has been elevating his own brand into creative levels that we do not see normally in Italian fashion. This has produced a lot of buzz around her shows and how indispensable they are for every menswear addict. Meanwhile, Kim Jones is in a stage of development in the womenswear side of the house. His creations depend on collaborations, but sometimes there are hits that are undeniable. His couture is a little odd compared to what Karl did previously, but again, I trust in the process and I know this brand has the potential to grow from the 20th position.

Following this massive brand, we find in the ranking JW ANDERSON, where the current creative director of Loewe can express himself as he wants to, due to the fact that his work at Loewe has been getting a lot of attention, that means more money for his personal projects. This brand is focused on creating an oniric world through surrealism and satiric pieces that take us back to the times where the designer was studying at Central Saint Martins. All his shows are very fun to watch and interesting to search for all the little details and references that they hide in them.

On the 18th, we have THE ROW with their reign of quiet luxury. The Olsen sisters have managed to create a wardrobe brand for the richest people in the world, where logos have anything to do. They rely on their constant good pattern making and their capacity to get every piece its own moment. Their presentation in Paris is getting more known with the years and we are getting a lot of good quality clothing. We think that it is well-deserved (and they can even get a better one, if quiet luxury is still a massive trend).

UGG is the next one on the list, and we just can say that we have seen their products everywhere on the streets. It is a brand that is being replicated by every fast fashion brand and their products are known by everyone. We do not know any other brand that has been this trendy since the beginning of 2010s in the mass population brains.

The 16th place goes to LOUIS VUITTON, a brand that has been everywhere these last few years due to the passing of Virgil Abloh, creative director of the menswear side since 2018-2021. Also, we cannot forget that this company is the biggest one in luxury and is recognized by everyone that lives with an-internet connection. The arrival of Pharrell as the creative director last season, might result in an increment in this list. The womenswear side is safe in the hands of Nicolas Ghesquière, who is putting out so much creative work being a visionary, staying ahead of trends.

The work of Maria Grazia Chiuri and Kim Jones at DIOR is getting stuck a bit. Their respective visions for womenswear and menswear are selling a lot, but for fashion nerds they need to spice things up. In the case of Chiuri’s work, the people are asking for a more daring Haute Couture, but we understand that like Chanel they need to sell before anything.

Next, we get to see the rising popularity of SKIMS, one of the only businesses that the Kardashians clan has settled correctly. His effort to pursue a good silhouette with cozy pieces is positioning this lingerie and loungewear focused brand as one of the hottest at the moment. Their campaigns with celebrities also get a lot of press and that means a lot of new clients every time they announce a new product. We do not know, we just think that they are marketing queens and they know how to get their audience, and a massive one, excited.

At 13th, we have DIESEL that is getting out of the top 10 this quarter of 2023. Reasoning behind it is that Glenn Martens are incredible at creating worlds for catwalks, but in shops we cannot see that, due to manufacturing difficulties. Also, this year they did not release a fragrance and I think that affects the recognition of the brand. We are excited to see what is next to come from a brand that was making hits in 2022, are they going to come back to that era?

This was the lowest year for BALENCIAGA. After the controversy in 2023, Demna has been in a struggle to manage to get back the confidence and the respect he has gotten since his beginning at the company. Even in this situation, they are positioned into the top 20 hottest brands. Some changes need to come or Demna will be replaced rather soon than later, just thoughts.

Before entering in the top 10, we found another Kering company, GUCCI. Alessandro Michelle leaving the company has left the company trembling. His dreamy world that encapsulated a new subculture in fashion has no place in the company anymore. Sabato di Sarno is the new creative director, in charge of taking back the company to the minimalistic and sexy Tom Ford’s days. Is it possible for the survival of a luxury company with that drastic change?

Top 10 we encounter VALENTINO and the incredible world that Pierpaolo Piccioli has created for the brand since Maria Grazia Chiuri left. His PPP pink was such an iconic moment in 2022 and preceded the Barbie phenomenon that we lived in the 2023 summer. His couture propositions, also, are one of the best in the calendar and everyone wants to be invited to his afterparties. Creativity and fun are assured in this brand.

Gaining positions we have BURBERRY (9th) and JACQUEMUS (8th). The first one is due to the fact that Daniel Lee is creating an-English world that was lacking on the brand under the vision of Riccardo Tisci. The prices are getting higher by the time, but the pieces are more aligned with the heritage of the house. In the case of Simon Porte Jacquemus, he is positioning as the biggest independent French house. His catwalks are getting better by seasons and his products are getting so much attention from the massive public. All of it, thanks to an enviable communication strategy that is everywhere on the Internet.

VERSACE, this last quarter of 2023, is getting the 7th position. Their collaboration with Dua Lipa raised the sales in the summer, but their moves are a little out of touch with the fashion world. They are lacking something and we do not know what it is. Donatella needs to bring Haute Couture back and demonstrates that the work of his brother is still relevant today.

In the same position we find SAINT LAURENT, which collections are the dream of the whole androgynous collective. How Anthony Vaccarello is presenting womenswear and menswear collections as pairs has been graceful to see. We are excited and ready to see the next move of a brand that has so much space in our hearts, thanks to his iconic creator Yves Saint Laurent.

The 5th place goes to utility in its peak and that is MONCLER. Their coats and jackets set the tones of the season for fast fashion brands and their incredible project called “Moncler Genius”, made of work from other fashion designers like Rick Owens or Richard Quinn, gets celebrated in a pop-up kind of way. They are so into the celebration of their products and create a lot of experiences for customers and non-customers to go and feel how great their product is.

BOTTEGA VENETA is positioned at the 4th place and it deserves no less than that. Matthieu Blazy is doing a fantastic job as the creative director of the company, keeping their leather heritage intact while experimenting with sustainable materials and avant-garde designs. Their runways are expressive and a way of getting out of the boring quiet luxury propositions by other brands. They are so related to the art world and that is something that adds value to the company.

Next, we arrive at LOEWE and his dreamlike world. This well-deserved 3rd spot goes to the creations by Jonathan Anderson that generate a lot of buzz with every presentation. There, the designer is expressed through a range of clothing items that plays with the knowledge and the nostalgia of the customer. Repetition is key, and that is why they are so high on this list. So proud to see how a Spanish brand is getting so much love in the fashion world.

The first and second positions of the hottest brands go to the same conglomerate, two houses that are under the same creative direction, Miuccia Prada. MIU MIU (2nd) and PRADA (1st) take the best spots thanks to incredible collections and campaigns. The aesthetic that MIU MIU set in 2021 is still going and is not going anywhere. The approach of the designer to express femininity through a more utilitarian way has captivated an industry that needs the empowerment of females to survive in this changing time.

On the other side, PRADA is getting so much recognition after the incorporation of Raf Simons and creating a duo with our dearest Miuccia. Formal wear is their main take on fashion but with weird and special details that make the pieces so desirable to regular customers. Also, they are so present in red carpets with customs and that is so important for brands. Their campaigns feature the most established celebrities in the industry and their catwalks are known by the almost impossible way of getting a seat.

To conclude, we think that quiet luxury is decreasing (we hope) and craftsmanship is the characteristic of the times that reign in the industry after the pandemic. We are excited to see what is to come and to see how Spain is going to get a place in the industry through the work of Jonathan Anderson in LOEWE and the knowledge about our artisans that are some of the best in the world. Our culture is not near to dying, and we are getting the recognition that we have fought for years. See you in the first quarter of 2024.

Words: @alraco43