The Lyst Index Q4 2025: Fast Fashion Holds Strong Against Luxury
The latest Lyst Index has landed, delivering insights into the fashion landscape for Q4 2025. Once again, the dominance of fast fashion over traditional luxury brands is underscored. In a compelling twist, COS, the high-street darling of the H&M group, has snagged the third place, demonstrating a remarkable demand increase of 60% quarter-over-quarter. This positions it alongside luxury stalwarts like Miu Miu and Saint Laurent. Meanwhile, Massimo Dutti, part of the Inditex family, stands firm at sixteenth, surpassing even Balenciaga, indicating a burgeoning appetite for accessible brands that flirt with the concept of quiet luxury. This shift is illustrated by the lower ranking of The Row, which has slipped three positions.
The Rise of Ralph Lauren
One of the standout stories from this quarter is the ascent of Ralph Lauren, which climbed five positions with a notable 24% increase in demand on Lyst. This resurgence can be attributed to the brand’s active engagement in popular culture, particularly through collaborations such as designing the Team USA uniforms for the upcoming Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games. Notably, Ralph Lauren has also broken its long-standing tradition of New York-centric shows by participating in Milan Fashion Week.
Social media is abuzz with the “Ralph Lauren Christmas” campaign, accruing an impressive 16.8 thousand posts with the official hashtag and 33.3 thousand with #ralphlaurenaesthetic across platforms like Instagram and TikTok. Other brands like Burberry and Gucci also showed promise, each rising by five positions, and Stone Island made waves with a remarkable 62% spike in searches. This underscores how brands that can adapt and innovate within their identity—be it through heritage or a distinct creative approach—gain significant traction in an ever-evolving market.
The Influence of Normcore
The Lyst Index has unveiled a substantial trend toward a normcore aesthetic, focusing on modern classics that resonate as immediately wearable and familiar. The runaway star of this quarter is the Arc’teryx toque hat, witnessing a staggering 1058% increase in searches. Similarly, the historic brand Charvet has seen a 128% rise in demand, propelled by its involvement in the debut collection of Matthieu Blazy for Chanel.
Blazy’s influence also contributed to the popularity of the quarter-zip sweater, with the Polo Ralph Lauren variant emerging as the most coveted item of Q4. Searches for such sweaters increased by 132%, driven largely by this standout piece. Further capturing consumer attention, the Paddington Bag—a classic from Chloé, redesigned for SS26—and the quirky UGG Zora Ballet Flats, which blend aesthetics with comfort, rounded out the top searched items of the quarter.
What is Luxury Fashion Missing?
Despite a year bustling with debuts and shifts in creative direction, the Lyst Index serves as a reminder that the realm of fast fashion and more accessible luxury brands continues to thrive. The rise of Ralph Lauren signals a broader return to a conservative aesthetic, highlighting timeless lines and recognizable codes that evoke reassurance in consumers.
In stark contrast, more avant-garde brands like Dior under Jonathan Anderson and Chanel with Matthieu Blazy have experienced marginalization or a lack of relevance regarding broader consumer appeal. This disconnect reveals a growing disparity between fashion’s creative echelon and the mainstream consumer base.
While new creative directors may curate visually stunning collections, these often don’t align with consumer priorities or purchasing capabilities. The prevailing trend seems to favor familiarity over aspiration, with consumers opting for functional items—think cozy sweaters, ballet flats, and puffer jackets—over high-concept luxury creations. In a world increasingly centered on everyday wearability, the fashion landscape appears to be leaning toward practicality over spectacle.