Nensi Dojaka’s black asymmetric mini dress was among The Lyst Index’s ten hottest women’s products in Q1 of 2021, along with, on average, over 7,000 searches per month for the remainder of the year. As 2021’s sheer, sexy version of the classic LBD, the London brand’s coveted style earned an LVMH Prize and is a prime sartorial example of the year’s return to going-out fashion.
Christopher John Rogers went from beloved New York designer on the rise to mainstream fashion name, garnering a collaboration with Target, a growing roster of celebrity clientele, including Lady Gaga, Bella Hadid, and Karlie Kloss, and a cameo in the Gossip Girl reboot that caused searches for the brand to jump 73% in July.
With a strong social media presence, “It” girl following, and Y2K-inspired, TikTok-viral designs, I.AM.GIA is the internet’s favorite fashion brand. Pants is the brand’s most-wanted category, specifically its Halo pants with pelvic cutouts, which jumped 164% in searches since the start of 2021.
Known for their gender fluid approach to fashion, Harris Reed first broke out onto the scene for dressing Harry Styles. Searches for the designer grew by 189% within Q1 of 2021 following the release of Styles’ Vogue December 2020 cover wearing one of Reed’s pieces. Within the span of the past year, Reed has won the GQ Breakthrough Designer of the Year Award, launched a debut fashion collection, and has collaborated with jewelry brand Missoma and MAC Cosmetics.
London College of Fashion grad Maximilian Davis launched his brand in 2020 and has thrived through the pandemic. Following Michaela Coel’s 2021 BAFTAs red carpet appearance in April wearing Maximilian, searches for the brand increased 49% the same month. Other celebrity clients include Naomi Campbell, Rihanna, and A$AP Rocky.
The Italian brand gained a cult following, thanks to celebrities like Hailey Bieber and Dua Lipa, whose “Love Again” music video featured The Attico’s zebra-print bikini, causing a 224% jump in pageviews upon its release in June. The swimwear style was among the world’s hottest pieces in Q2 of 2021 and demand for the brand has increased 65% since the start of the year.
The Australian designer has been around since 2010 but his party-ready dresses and midriff flossing details align with 2021’s rising demand for going-out fashion, as searches for the brand grew 54% year-on year. Christopher Esber’s signature cut-out dresses were among the most-wanted items in the category this year, while searches for the brand’s dresses alone jumped 49% compared to last year.
The UK-based label focuses on sustainability and slow fashion, offering genderless clothing made from organic fabrics and natural dyes. In February, Story Mfg. dropped a cruelty-free sneaker in collaboration with Reebok and searches for the brand went up 123% during the first quarter of the year following its anticipated release.
In an effort to attract a Gen-Z customer base, Marc Jacobs launched its nostalgia-heavy fashion line Heaven in September 2020. So far, its coveted designs and collaborations (Dr. Martens, Cactus Plant Flea Market, Stray Rats, and, most recently, Nodaleto) have attracted young celebrity fans, like Olivia Rodrigo, Bella Hadid, Vegyn, Dua Lipa, and Beabadoobee.
Kim Kardashian’s shapewear solutions line garnered worldwide attention for outfitting the US Olympics team’s female athletes during its off-duty hours, including loungewear, underwear, and pajamas. When Kardashian announced the news via social media, global searches for SKIMS’ pieces spiked by 112% in less than 48 hours.
Baggy jeans were a major trend on the S/S '21 runways, as well as a celebrity favorite among Gigi and Bella Hadid, Hailey and Justin Bieber, Katie Holmes, and more throughout the summer. As closets transitioned from sweatpants, searches for the roomy denim style were up 52% year-on-year, and baggy or wide-leg jeans received almost double the amount of searches than skinny jeans year-to-date.
Appearing in The Lyst Index Q1, this Swiss-made luxury timepiece is the most-wanted accessory of the year. Sales of watches have risen 13% year-on-year and the category saw significant growth in the wedding space. Searches for watches, along with the terms “couple,” “engagement,” and “wedding,” have started to appear more frequently and have collectively increased 53% within the past year.
The Italian fashion house has another hit accessory as the most-searched bag on Lyst of 2021. With celebrity fans, like Kendall Jenner and Elsa Hosk, as well as becoming a street style staple at the most recent fashion month, the bag taps into the minimalist luxury aesthetic with its Instagram-friendly, ‘90s-inspired look.
An ideal in-between home-and-outdoors genderless footwear style, the Boston Clogs are the most-wanted shoes of 2021. The brand also continued to garner high-fashion approval this year, thanks to collaborations with Stüssy, Proenza Schouler, and Jil Sander. Compared to Birkenstock’s ever popular Arizona sandal, the Boston Clog received 36% more pageviews this year.
After a Thom Browne “groom skirt suit” was worn by Dan Levy’s David Rose during the finale of Schitt’s Creek, the low-key industry favorite became a pop culture icon. Searches for “men’s wedding skirts” jumped 48% year-on-year and Thom Browne’s black pleated skirt was one of the most-wanted items. In The Lyst Index Q2, the brand’s skirt also broke into the top 10 for menswear for the very first time.
First featured in The Lyst Index Q1, the ‘90s-inspired mini dress is 2021’s most-wanted LBD, representing the collective excitement around going out and dressing up again. Unsurprisingly, searches for the dress peaked during the summer, from June to August, as stylish celebrities, like Emma Corrin, Emily Ratajkowski, Rihanna, and more, were spotted wearing it.
Prada’s summer-friendly bag sold out quickly across multiple retailers on Lyst, as it tapped into the popular trends around crochet, craftcore, and DIY. Overall, crochet bags have increased in searches by 56% year-on-year.
The risqué knitwear style from Jacquemus, worn by the likes of Megan Fox, Kendall Jenner and Hailey Bieber, spearheaded this summer’s pin-top trend. In August, searches spiked 79% for this particular style, with “front tie top”, “lace up top” and “pin top” being the most frequently searched keywords.
Eco-friendly brand Pangaia has been trending through 2021, but a co-sign from Harry Styles, who was spotted in its hot pink “Flamingo” hoodie in October, caused a 91% spike in searches. Online searches for the brand’s sweatshirt hoodies have now jumped 172% during the course of the year.
Searches similar to the retailer's minimalist-leaning striped sweater were an indicator of the nautical-inspired item's return, as inquiries for striped knitwear increased 125% year-on-year. In early August, month-on-month searches for striped polo sweaters were also up 37%.
Making The Lyst Index Q2 as one of the hottest women’s products, the all-white classic sneaker is Gen Z’s everyday shoe of choice. Searches for the Nike Air Force 1 increased by 248% year-on-year, with users on Lyst searching for the product more than 4,000 times each day.
The exclusive collaboration, first released on Nike’s SNKRS App, featured 50 renditions of Off-White x Nike Dunk Low that were distributed at random among buyers. In just 48 hours after the launch, searches for the sneaker spiked 236%. After the drop in August, the sneakers, which originally retail for $180, were sold on resale platforms at a price premium of around 400%.
Since its first release in June 2020, the Yeezy Foam Runner has seen success with every drop. During 2021, the clog-like sneaker was released in more colorways and thanks to this searches for the sneaker spiked 411% in Q3. Priced at $75 at retail, the Yeezy Foam Runner can be flipped for more than 720% its original value on resale platforms.
What was once an under-the-radar sneaker associated with a slew of subcultures has now become one of Adidas' most wanted shoes, thanks to a collaboration with Bad Bunny since March. This sent searches soaring, increasing 103% the following week.
Interest in Nike’s SB Dunk sneakers increased 182% year-on-year and was released in a series of different colorways throughout the year. As the world watched skateboarding’s debut at the Tokyo Olympics, interest in the Nike SB Dunk Low, the sport’s official shoe, increased 148% through July and August.
After being spotted on both Rihanna and A$AP Rocky, searches for the Adidas Samba sneaker jumped 63% from July. The shoe has quite the celebrity following, including Jonah Hill, Frank Ocean, and Tyler, The Creator.
With designer collaborations from Staud and Casablanca, as well as a variety of different colorways from New Balance, the retro-inspired 327 sneaker has gained interest among online shoppers. Searches have steadily risen throughout the year, peaking in August with a 96% increase.
The Nike Go Flyease sneaker received a great deal of hype around its release in February, becoming the 7th hottest women’s product in The Lyst Index Q1. The shoe’s truly hands-free capabilities are a technological breakthrough for the brand, and a game-changer for athletes of all abilities.
Converse became the most-wanted sneaker brand in February after Vice President Kamala Harris was photographed wearing a pair of Chuck 70s on the February cover of Vogue. Searches were up almost ten times year-on-year, with 100 searches on Lyst happening every hour.
As platform footwear became a top trend in 2021, it’s no surprise that Converse’s take on the style with its Chuck sneaker gained popularity as well. Throughout 2021, searches for the Converse Run Star Hike, spotted on Bella Hadid and Charli D’Amelio, increased 69% while the shoe was searched 64 times every hour.
Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons unveiled their first collection as co-creative directors for S/S ‘21, and the duo have been showcasing Prada’s signature triangular logo everywhere, from tops and earrings to gloves and handbags. The design choice paid off, as Prada is the most-searched logo on Lyst in 2021, receiving four times more searches than the year before.
Despite limited product being released in 2021, there was a high level of buzz and excitement around this collaboration. When the partnership was revealed in early June, searches for both brands increased, Yeezy 320% and Gap 325%. Upon the announcement of its first product, the Black Round Jacket, there were more than 50,000 searches for the collaboration in a span of 24 hours.
Boasting the highest number of searches for a collaboration this year, Ivy Park x Adidas has consistently found success with its seasonal releases, from “Icy Park” in February, which caused searches for Ivy Park to spike 536% within a week of its release, to inclusive swimwear for summer and fall’s “Ivy Park Rodeo” collection.
Gucci turned outdoor gear into a luxury with its collaboration with The North Face. When it was released in January there were over 30,000 searches for the collaboration in 24 hours and its canvas bomber jacket was the top women’s product of The Lyst Index Q1. On the resale market, the outerwear item is still hot, as resellers have asked up to five times more than its original price.
Back in 2020, Telfar’s collaboration announcement with UGG was well-received with its pre-sale selling out within 24 hours — nine months in advance of its official release. In July, a month after the partnership’s launch, demand for Telfar increased 275%, along with UGG 262%. After Telfar and UGG dropped the second edition of their collaboration, searches for UGG increased 94% and Telfar 101% within 48 hours.
The high-end collaboration — actually, “hacking” — between the two historic fashion houses debuted in April during Gucci’s “Aria” runway show. In the two months after it was shown there were over 5,000 daily searches for the collaboration, and a new template for mega-brand link-ups was set which saw Fendi join forces with Versace in September.
