"The fourth quarter of 2019 gave fashion brands with an opportunity to step up their game and they did this in style by focusing on sustainable and other high-end fabrics. The recently released quarterly report of global fashion search platform Lyst revealed luxury brands like Off-White, Gucci, Balenciaga, Moncler and Versace emerged among the hottest for the quarter with Fendi, Prada, Valentino, Saint Laurent and Burberry rounding out the top 10. Small accessories such as Gucci’s men’s wool jacquard scarf and women’s GG logo belt were among the most wanted products during the quarter."

The fourth quarter of 2019 gave fashion brands with an opportunity to step up their game and they did this in style by focusing on sustainable and other high-end fabrics. The recently released quarterly report of global fashion search platform Lyst revealed luxury brands like Off-White, Gucci, Balenciaga, Moncler and Versace emerged among the hottest for the quarter with Fendi, Prada, Valentino, Saint Laurent and Burberry rounding out the top 10. Small accessories such as Gucci’s men’s wool jacquard scarf and women’s GG logo belt were among the most wanted products during the quarter. These products averaged over 165,000 online monthly searches between October and December with the belt being widely recognised as the hottest product of the decade.

Other products that made a mark this quarter were Bottega Veneta’s newly launched mini version of “The Pouch” leather clutch that grabbed the fifth place on the women’s hottest products list. Search for this popular bag brand increased 32 per cent during the quarter.

Making a powerful return, Yeezy’s 500 stone was ranked fifth on the men’s hottest products list. The brand also re-entered the 20 hottest brands list in Q4, climbing nine places to 16th position. Full price sales drove many of the quarter’s hottest brands within The Lyst Index as shoppers gravitated towards recognizable ‘core’ or non-seasonal products.

Brands announce new sustainability initiatives

The dearth of streetwear brands and products on the list indicated instability in the industry as brands shifted from streetwear-focused fashion to sustainability and enduring designs. These brands ended the year on a positive note by announcing new sustainability initiatives and brand-purpose activities.

While Prada signed a loan to lower its interest rates in exchange for meeting sustainability targets, Burberry announced a partnership deal with resale site The RealReal and Gucci launched the CEO Carbon Neutral Challenge. Pointing towards a wider shift in the industry, these initiatives offset the traditional ‘buy, buy, buy’ mentality of the quarter.

While Offwhite had predicted the death of streetwear in the coming decade, T-shirts, hoodies and sneakers remained some of the most coveted products on the Index with search volume for Off-White hoodies growing by 90 percent over the quarter.

Strong demand for luxury outerwear

Demand for the luxury outerwear brands remained strong throughout the quarter. Luxury puffer coats led the men’s wear category while Moncler’s Maya jacket was regarded as one of the hottest men’s product in Q4 with its searches increasing by 199 percent during the year.

Other brands that outshined competition with their sustainable products were: Arket’s down puffer coat. Made with 100 per cent recycled down feathers, the coat saw 695 per cent spike in page views for the brand in October.

The 126-year-old British heritage label Barbour entered the Lyst Index for the first time with its $141 Chelsea Sportsquilt jacket. Searches for the brand increased by 143 per cent during the year with the jacket ranked as the tenth hottest men’s product. Brand Canada Goose also made its biggest move by climbing up by 14 places to No 18 position during the quarter.