Lyst Index Q1 2025: Dissecting APAC’s influence

What happened The Lyst Index for Q1 2025 was released yesterday, providing the fashion industry’s quarterly data-driven ranking of the most popular brands and products globally. Ralph Lauren leapt up six places, while Loewe climbed three, boosted by the internet-viral buzz surrounding Jonathan Anderson’s departure and his final collection. In fact, that moment sparked a 38% surge in searches. Notably, mass-market brand Cos rose 11 places, reflecting broad consumer appetite for more affordable fashion. A year into creative director Chemena Kamali’s tenure, Chloé jumped 10 places, entering the Lyst Index for the first time since its inception in 2021. In contrast, Skims and Valentino both dropped four places, and Moncler slid three, signaling shifting sentiment. Leadership in flux The quarter also saw eight luxury houses announce creative director shake-ups, with half of them featured in the Index’s top ranks. Meanwhile, Celine flared jeans experienced a viral moment when Kendrick Lamar wore them at the Super Bowl, driving a 412% surge in searches for flared jeans. Lamar, who recently became a Chanel ambassador, significantly amplified the trend. High-performing brands included Jean Paul Gaultier, under the newly appointed creative director Duran Lantink (+69%), and denim favorite Levi’s (+35%). In terms of product trends, Lyst reported a 1,300% spike in searches for “sneakerinas.” Adidas’ taekwondo sneakers ranked second, with Puma’s Speedcat ballet flat in third. The Jing Take From Puma ambassador Blackpink’s Rosé making the Speedcat go viral, to Ralph Lauren’s intensified focus on China boosting performance, Asia’s influence in global fashion is plain to see in the Lyst Index. Boasting a six-spot rise, Ralph Lauren’s high-profile Shanghai show last month exemplified its local popularity, racking up over one million likes under the event’s dedicated hashtag. The American brand achieved a 20% YoY revenue surge in the market in Q3 FY2025. Loewe’s three-place ascent is also down to impressive localized strategy, particularly in China, where the luxury house often tailors stellar content for Douyin, and recently appointed celebs Yang Mi and Wang Yibo as ambassadors. The sneaker-ballet-flats trend, though, is perhaps the largest Asia-led movement on the Lyst Index. A plethora of Asian designer collaborations are boosting the footwear trend hugely, including names like Simone Rocha, JW Pei, Sandy Liang, and Yohji Yamamoto, as dissected by Jing Daily last month. Despite Chloé’s positive movement in the Index, its parent company Richemont has faced challenges in mainland China, reporting a significant 18% YoY decline in sales for Q4 2024. Similarly revealing the APAC region’s power to shape global rankings, Valentino’s four-spot drop in the Lyst Index directly corresponds with its well-documented struggles in Asian markets during Q4 2024. Competitive heat slows Skims and Moncler Meanwhile, Skims and Moncler owe their slight slides to changing consumer preferences. For example, the boom of cult yoga brands such as Adanola and Alo Yoga is heating up competition for Kim Kardashian’s shapewear powerhouse — her brand has also been boycotted extensively. For Moncler, a major turn toward “quiet luxury” has left it needing to adapt, despite its Genius events, held in Shanghai and London, shooting the brand to internet virality. The Lyst Index Q1 2025 reveals that China’s impact on luxury brands varies significantly across the market. What remains consistent, however, is APAC’s outsized influence on global fashion through its brand ambassadors, viral moments, and search trends. As these rankings demonstrate, the region continues to solidify its position as a core driver of global fashion movements. The Jing Take reports on a piece of the leading news and presents our editorial team’s analysis of the key implications for the luxury industry. In the recurring column, we analyze everything from product drops and mergers to heated debate sprouting on Chinese social media.

Asia’s influence on the Lyst Index Q1 2025

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Asia’s influence on the Lyst Index Q1 2025