The Lyst Index for the first quarter of 2026 places Chanel at the top of the ranking of the most influential brands of the moment. The house is ahead of Saint Laurent, now second, while Dior takes third place in the ranking.
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Since 2017, Lyst has published its Lyst Indexa quarterly ranking based on data from its international fashion research and buying platform. His goal? Measure the most popular brands and products of the moment in the world of fashion and luxury. However, the ranking methodology is not based solely on the notoriety, sometimes ephemeral, of a brand or product: by combining several demand signals such as user searches, product views, sales, mentions on social networks, engagement or even the dynamics around the brands, this ranking makes it possible to observe which houses are really capturing market attention, but also which ones manage to transform this visibility into commercial interest.
With this new edition, the Lyst Index and its “Desire, Demand and Discovery” methodology confirm that the most successful brands are not only the most visible. In this respect, Chanel stands out as the best performing brand of the quarter: if the arrival of Matthieu Blazy generated strong expectations, the ranking above all highlights the house’s ability to transform this interest into commercial traction, particularly for its accessories and shoes. The house thus places two of its products among the ten most sought-after items of the quarter: a pair of crocodile-effect leather pumps, widely relayed on social networks, and a reworked version of the Maxi Flap bag in smooth leather.
Dior and Gucci progress in a changing ranking
Behind Chanel, Dior continues its progress and reaches third place in the ranking. The house benefits in particular from the attention generated by the arrival of Jonathan Anderson. While Saint Laurent retains its second place, Gucci achieves the best comeback of the quarter by gaining four places while entering the top 5. This progression is based in particular on Demna’s first steps within the house, followed by a 12% increase in searches the day after the show.
For Prada and Miu Miu, the quarter appears more contrasted: the two brands each fell two places. Versace, for its part, moved up two places and ranked twelfth, in a context marked by its recent acquisition by the Prada group.
A popular culture that increasingly weighs on demand
The Lyst Index also confirms that brands, even luxury brands, must be part of a broader cultural ecosystem where fashion, cinema, social networks and global events directly influence consumer demand and interest.
Thus, the return of minimalism of the 90s, carried by the series Love Story and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy’s style is a direct example: black turtlenecks saw a 217% increase in searches after the first episode aired. The same phenomenon is observed on straight-cut denim, which continues to rise on Lyst and at Calvin Klein, with an increase of 43% per week after the final episode. The same dynamic is observed for the Vivienne Westwood satin dress, demand for which increased by 890% in the context of the release of Wuthering Heights (Stormwind) and his promotional tour. Zara is another interesting example from this quarter, having benefited from Bad Bunny’s appearance at the Super Bowl, dressed in a brand costume in front of 128.2 million viewers.
