The Lyst Index is a quarterly, data-driven report that ranks the world’s hottest fashion brands and products based on key metrics of shopping behavior, search data, and social media engagement across 160+ million annual users.
LYST INDEX Q1-26 REPORT - HOTTEST BRANDS
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CHANEL
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SAINT LAURENT
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DIOR
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MIU MIU
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GUCCI
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RALPH LAUREN
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PRADA
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COACH
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BURBERRY
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COS
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THE ROW
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VERSACE
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MONCLER
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CHLOE
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BOTTEGA VENETA
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LOEWE
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STONE ISLAND
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MASSIMO DUTTI
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FENDI
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CELINE
LYST INDEX Q1-26 HOTTEST PRODUCTS
HOTTEST BRAND PRODUCTS BY LYST INDEX. IMAGE SOURCED VIA LYST.
CHANEL CRUISE 27 BY MATTHIEU BLAZY
Chanel is making waves in fashion in the age of Matthieu Blazy, recognized as the hottest brand of Q1-26 by Lyst. Most recently Chanel had a homecoming in Biarritz, where Coco Chanel opened her first couture house in 1915.
The collection centered on movement, ease and summer escapism, building a narrative toward a lighter, more playful Chanel. The show and collection was a blend of realism and fantasy - with real fisherman gear, Breton knits, and workwear and fantasy elements of mermaids, shells, and aquatic themes.
The catwalk featured a cast of characters, from beachgoers to sailors to mythical sea figures. Notable to mention, Chanel embraced true model inclusivity and body reality with pregnant model Kaya Wilkins.
CHANEL CRUISE 2027 COLLECTION, LOOK 60. IMAGE SOURCED VIA WWD.
STANDOUT DETAILS
Aquatic and seaside elements could be found throughout the collection including:
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Mermaid-inspired gowns with scale-like sequins
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Shell, seahorse, and reef-inspired jewelry and embroidery
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Fishnet dresses, raffia skirts, and beach umbrella references
Swimwear was used as a new fashion language with:
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1920s-inspired swimsuits with logo swim caps
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Thigh-high wader boots paired with swim silhouettes
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Goggles-shaped sunglasses and marine accessories
Signature tweed was reimagined through a bold, colorful beach-ready form.
A viral and hate it or you love it footwear accessory - the “heel cap” sandals: a heel and ankle strap with a bare foot. Widely debated online. Another viral accessory was the oversized beach bags, as seen below.
CHANEL CRUISE 2027 COLLECTION, LOOK 51. IMAGE SOURCED VIA WWD.
Matthieu Blazy’s Chanel Cruise 2027 show and collection was a strong nod to the maison’s history with a narrative rooted in play, freedom, humor, and fantasy.
Sources: Vogue, LeMonde, New York Post
MIU MIU LITERARY CLUB IN MILAN
Hosted from April 22nd - April 24th, the Miu Miu Literary Club “Politics of Desire” was presented under the direction of Creative Director Miuccia Prada.
In it’s fourth installment, Miu Miu used the platform to merge literature, philosophy, and identity politics with brand storytelling. In media this is positioned as part of a broader shift where brands are building ‘worlds’ rather than sole collections during events like Milan Design Week.
This signals books as a new status symbol making intellectualism fashionable again. Reading, and being seen reading becomes a new form of cultural capital within the fashion industry.
Image sourced via miumiu.com
Conversations were consistent with lived experiences, gender politics, consent and sexuality over female written novels by Annie Ernaux and Ama Ata Aidoo.
We’re experiencing a luxury fashion era in the ‘coolification’ of academia, with participating brands feeling more culturally current.
The Literary Club positions Miu Miu as a cultural editor transforming the brand into a platform for ideas, intimacy, and intellectual status.
Explore Miu Miu Literary Club
AI IN THE FASHION INDUSTRY
Artificial intelligence is rapidly evolving the fashion retail industry into a hyper-personalized, content-driven ecosystem, where brands operate less like stores and more like media platforms.
According to WWD, AI is now central to everything from customer experience to supply chain optimization. It has the ability to power tailored recommendations, generate campaign imagery at scale, and help brands reduce overproduction through inventory and forecasting systems.
In this light, AI acts as a creative and operational backbone of the industry, enabling fashion to move faster and align more efficiently with sustainability goals.
Image sourced via Pinterest.
Side News: Stefano Gabbana stepped down as chairman of Dolce & Gabbana effective Jan. of this year. Gabbana continues to be closely tied to the brand’s creative output while the brand transitions.
Yet the increasing acceleration of AI within the industry is unfolding alongside a cultural resistance. As highlighted in Business of Fashion, consumer sentiment toward AI is shaped by concerns of loss of creativity, the ethics of data usage, and job displacement. Many perceive AI as coming at the expense of human emotional and artistic depth.
Together, these perspectives reveal a defining tension at the heart of fashion’s technological shift: while AI offers excessive scale, precision, and the potential for sustainability, it also challenges the values of creativity, individuality, and human presence.
The industry’s next phase will depend not just on how extensively AI is adopted, but on how carefully it’s integrated and enforced. It should not be seen as a replacement for human vision, and more as a tool that could enhance it without shattering cultural meaning.
Sources: WWD, Business of Fashion
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