The most popular fashion brands and products revealed

Return of in-person events drive searches for post-pandemic ‘dopamine dressing’

Billy Porter outfit details outside JW Anderson during London Fashion Week February 2020 (Getty Images)

Fashion search platform Lyst has unveiled the most popular brands and product trends for the third quarter of 2021, ranging from over-the-top “dopamine dressing” to humble playground beads.

The shopping site and app is used by more than 150 million people, according to Lyst, with products from 17,000 brands and stores available.

Balenciaga was crowned the hottest brand right now by Lyst, after it reintroduced haute couture, launched a collaboration with video game Fortnite, and was roped in by Kanye West to create merchandise for his latest album Donda.

After Rihanna and Kim Kardashian graced this year’s Met Gala in Balenciaga, sparking thousands of memes across social media, searches for the fashion brand surged 505 per cent.

File image: Rihanna attends The 2021 Met Gala (Getty Images)

Other high-fashion brands, including Gucci, Dior, Prada and Louis Vuitton, followed Balenciaga’s lead in the Lyst list. But Nike broke the luxury ranks by coming in sixth, and Nike sneakers worn by teenage tennis star Emma Raducanu became the fourth hottest women’s product.

Searches for Nike tennis shoes rose 86 per cent after Raducanu made tennis history by becoming the first British woman to win a Grand Slam singles title since 1977 when she won the US Open in September.

Raducanu is the first British woman to win a Grand Slam singles title since 1977 (Getty Images)

The list of most popular products suggest that Britons swung between comfort and the need to make a statement with their footwear.

Searches for high heels spiked 177 per cent in this quarter compared to the same quarter in 2020, with Versace’s hot pink Medua Aevitas platforms teetering close to the top spot on the list.

Bottega Veneta’s terry slides and JW Anderson’s chain loafer mules also made the cut on the women’s hottest products list, while men yearned for Adidas X Yeezy’s foam runner shoes and Prada’s Cloudburst Thunder sneakers.

The Yeezy foam runners were launched last summer, but searches for the unconventional shoe spiked 411 per cent in the third quarter of 2021 following the release of two new colourways.

But it was Prada’s raffia tote bag that cinched the top spot on the women’s hottest product list, fuelled by social media influencers posting versions of the bag made in nylon and terry, and featuring crystal embellishment.

The emergence of more flamboyant products was attributed to the phenomenon of “dopamine dressing”, the term used for dressing in a way that makes you feel good. Beaded jewellery by Roxanne Assoulin and Eliou Circus was a “breakout category” on both men and women’s lists, with searches rising 229 per cent.

Furry bucket hats, which swept trend boards earlier this year, are still popular, with a pastel-coloured piece by Emma Brewin closing out the women’s list.

The site noted that, as pandemic restrictions eased in numerous parts of the world, in-person fashion and awards shows made a comeback. Closer to home, demand for going out clothes saw a spike too, as people started to attend more social gatherings and events.