Alaïa Makes Their Lyst Index Debut

Like clockwork, every three months you can expect the Lyst Index's quarterly reporting on the world’s hottest brands and products to dominate your social feeds. Because fashion is ultimately a popularity contest, we wait with bated breath to see who takes the crown as the industry’s driving creative force. While the first quarter of 2024 isn’t all too surprising with many familiar faces in the top five, it’s those making their Lyst debut we should keep an extra close eye on.

Continuing to dominate is Miu Miu who first overtook big sister Prada — who rests at a comfortable second place — in the third quarter of 2023. In Lyst’s report, searches for Miu Miu increased by 8% in the last three months. This is likely due to the Italian brand’s viral-worthy S/S 24 collection hitting stores. The early naughties, SoCal-inspired collection featured board shorts, layered polos that beg for their collars to be popped, and heartthrob Troye Sivan walking the runway.

Miu Miu’s impact on fashion can’t be stressed enough with three of their products landing on Lyst’s Top Ten Hottest Products. With summer clearly on everyone’s mind, it makes sense that it would include Miu Miu swim briefs and those instantly classic logo-embroidered polos. Still, it’s the Miu Miu x New Balance trainers that took the top spot, selling out within hours of their online release.

Another must-have for the summer is Alaïa’s studded ballet flats, having scored fourth place on the list. For fashion purists, seeing an Alaïa design in a hottest products list might be a surprise considering the brand’s founder notoriously removed himself from the fashion system. While beloved among the ‘in-the-know’, public recognition was never the Tunisian designer’s priority, with him showing his collections outside of the Fashion Week schedule before it was cool to do so.

The rise in popularity of the shoe is one factor in the brand breaching the Lyst Index's Top 20 at number 19. The brand’s visibility has increased in recent years thanks to creative director Pieter Mulier who joined in 2021. The Belgian designer previously known as Raf Simons’ right hand has expertly kept Alaïa’s spirit for razor-sharp precision and modernity alive without shying away from innovation.

His ‘La Robe Spirale’ from A/W 24, a spiralling wool dress, made the rounds on X among today’s fashion fantastic due solely to its captivating design. The same design became a pop culture headliner when Zendaya wore it to a Dune: Part 2 press event in Paris. Stood in front of the Eiffel Tower, it’s arguably one of the rising starlets most captivating fashion moments among an already impressive press tour. Stylist Law Roach can do no wrong.

Another surprising newcomer (for anyone with a conscious) is Dolce & Gabanna who beat out Alaïa at the number 18 spot. The brand’s many controversies fromaccusations of racism and homophobia targeted towards same-sex couples having children, saw the brand’s cancellation negatively affect their sales.

Still, with celebrity co-signs from Kim Kardashian (America’s pillars of morality) who co-created a collection in 2023, and sponsoring the runway presentations of today’s most exciting emerging designers like Tomo Koizumi and Feben, it’s clear that most of the industry at large is ready to forgive and forget the Italian duo’s inappropriate antics.

A similar attitude shift is taking shape with Balenciaga with Lyst reporting that they’re among the fastest risers this quarter climbing four sports to land on eight. Kering’s crown jewel re-entered the Top 10 for the first time since Q3 2022 before a string of controversies saw the general public campaign for a full-blown cancellation.

Like D&G it appears a string of celebrity endorsements — Kim Kardashian officially signed the dotted line to become a brand ambassador in January —, creative campaigns, and it-bags like The Rodeo and the Le City, it appears all is forgiven of creative director Demna’s missteps. So, what does that mean for us? Is cancel culture officially a farce? Or is Balenciaga and Dolce and Gabanna just too good to ignore?

Head to lyst.com for all of their 2024 Q1 findings.