In a fashion industry often driven by noise viral micro-trends, rapid-fire drops, and overstated marketing the third quarter of 2025 delivered a surprising truth: quiet power is winning. Lyst’s Q3 Index, the global barometer of what consumers are searching, buying, and obsessing over, has crowned Saint Laurent the hottest brand in the world for the very first time.

This is not the rise of a disruptor, but the coronation of a brand that has spent years perfecting an aesthetic of restraint. As volatility rattles other luxury houses, brands anchored in clarity of purpose, those that understand who they are and who they serve are beginning to define the next era of luxury. The index’s latest results show the fashion sector settling into a new, more intentional rhythm. The brands thriving are those leaning into refined design, durability of style, and a kind of luxury that whispers rather than shouts.

A quarter of climbs, drops, and unexpected entrants

Below is the Q3 2025 top movement table, capturing the decisive swings in brand heat:

Table: Q3 2025 brand movements in the Lyst Index

The biggest story here is the divergence between brand clarity and brand volatility. Saint Laurent, The Row, and COS, each rooted in a distinct minimalist identity climbed. Loewe, known for boundary-pushing surrealism, dipped sharply. Meanwhile, Stone Island’s re-entry reveals that technical casualwear is cycling back into the global mainstream. The index suggests a marketplace rewarding consistency over chaos.

The rise of the quiet confidence consumer

A new kind of global luxury buyer is shaping the rankings. They are not hunting for logos or shock-value design. They want longevity, intentionality, and products that integrate seamlessly into a capsule lifestyle. Saint Laurent embodies this shift. Its ascent to No 1 wasn’t powered by spectacle, but by the Le Loafer, a product designed not to dominate a room, but to complete a wardrobe. It is minimal, sculpted, versatile, and built for repetition—not a one-season trend. Consumers are buying less, but buying better. The brands that understand this are rising.

High-street brand breakthrough

The remarkable jump by COS (from 7th to 3rd) highlights an important market dynamic: consumers are actively seeking high-quality, understated pieces at a more accessible price point. The brand's chunky cashmere sweater returned as one of Q3's hottest products, serving as an affordable gateway to the luxury aesthetic.

Table: COS's quarter at a glance

The numbers confirm COS’s role as the new gateway to luxury minimalism. At a time when shoppers are curating tighter wardrobes, its proposition sharp tailoring, clean silhouettes, premium basics feels both aspirational and attainable. This quarter, COS didn’t just rise in rank; it challenged the traditional boundaries of the luxury pyramid. Its growth shows a market where the definition of luxury is shifting from price tag to design philosophy.

An American revival

The Q3 Index also reveals a subtle but significant renaissance for American brands.

• Coach maintained its top-five strength, driven by a 29 per cent jump in demand and reinforced by sticky cultural moments around the Empire bag.

• Ralph Lauren, lifted by a resurgence of Americana aesthetics, climbed two spots to 9th spot.

• Even Madewell, outside the top 20, recorded a 34 per cent boost, reflecting a nostalgia-led discovery among Gen Z.

Together, these movements signal renewed global affection for American craftsmanship, storytelling, and classic style codes.

Interestingly, in this quarter, a single item often determined brand momentum: Saint Laurent’s Le Loafer didn’t just trend it shaped the brand’s ascent; COS’s cashmere sweater increased discovery at the high-street level; Skims, now at No 15, continues its meteoric path with product-led growth demand is up 271 per cent year-on-year, powered by category dominance in shapewear and solution-driven apparel. The index makes one thing clear: when the product is right, the consumer response is exponential.

COS's climb to the top three

COS (Collection of Style) moved up four 4 places to No 3 a 147 per cent increase in searches The success of COS is a clear case study in how quality basics and a consistent aesthetic can compete with traditional luxury houses. Positioning itself as a source for affordable luxury and a cornerstone for a versatile capsule wardrobe, the brand captured consumer attention who are "shopping with precision," balancing investment pieces with high-quality, accessible staples. Their strong search volume increase and the presence of their cashmere sweater on the hottest products list demonstrate a successful strategy of providing a modern, restrained aesthetic that aligns perfectly with the current preference for understated style.

The Lyst Index result is a uniquely dynamic snapshot of global fashion desire. Q3 2025 reflects a world in transition: away from maximalism, away from trend churn, toward a fashion economy shaped by deliberate choices. Thus this quarter marks an inflection point. Saint Laurent’s victory is symbolic not of dominance, but of discipline. Quiet luxury isn’t just a trend; it is becoming the backbone of modern fashion consumption. Brands that anchor themselves in clarity, craftsmanship, and consistency whether luxurious or accessible are reshaping the hierarchy of desirability.

In shor, the Lyst Index doesn’t simply show who’s winning. It shows why. And in Q3 2025, the winners were the brands that chose timelessness over noise