The Most-Searched Brands of 2021 (So Far) Indicate a Return to High Fashion

what brands are trending
Photo: Courtesy of Balenciaga

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If you’re wondering what brands are trending in 2021, the results gathered during the first three months of the year are finally in. Each quarter, Lyst, a shopping platform with 12,000 brands and stores, analyzes and combines purchases on its platform with Google’s search data and social media mentions to present us with the most-purchased, sought-after, and talked-about labels. While the big names on the list might not come as a surprise, it is very interesting to see the order in which they appear.

Once again, the Gucci gang held on to the number one spot, thanks to the fashion house’s buzzy collaborations with The North Face, but Nike made a colossal leap (9 positions, to be exact) and secured the number two spot after finishing in 11th place at the end of 2020. Dior made a graceful debut on the list, in third place, and that’s not the only French fashion house that earned a first-time appearance on the Lyst Index. Louis Vuitton made its inaugural appearance in 7th place on the Lyst index, which could very well be a nod to the “buy less, buy better” mentality many are adopting.

For more clues on 2021’s fashion trajectory, scroll through (and shop) the top-ten brands, according to Lyst, below.

1. Gucci

Photo: Getty Images

Maybe it was the obsession with Harry Styles’s feather boa from the 2021 Grammy Awards or the latest release of The North Face collaboration, but Gucci is still hanging on to the number one spot.

The North Face x Gucci nylon windbreaker

The North Face x Gucci nylon mountain jacket

2. Nike

It’s not all runway designers on this list. Nike is literally making leaps and bounds, thanks to innovative adaptive sneakers and anything else it produces with that iconic swoosh.

Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 38 Flyease running shoe

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Nike Air Max 90 Flyease shoe

3. Dior

Photo: Courtesy of Dior

Selecting Blackpink’s Kim Ji-soo, aka Jisoo, as brand ambassador was certainly a great idea. Plus, Snapchat users couldn’t seem to get enough of the Dior augmented reality sneaker try-on lens.

Dior Walk'N'Dior sneaker

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Dior D-Wander sneaker

4. Balenciaga

At the end of the first quarter, Balenciaga gave fans a fun glow-in-the-dark collection of slides, socks, caps, and T-shirts.

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Balenciaga glow-in-the-dark socks

Balenciaga glow-in-the-dark slide sandal

5. Moncler

Photo: Getty Images

Luxury label Moncler used recycled materials to create the new Born To Protect jackets and continued to impress us with springy outerwear and so much more.

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Moncler Born to Protect Project Teremba hooded quilted down puffer jacket

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Moncler x Richard Quinn Shirley floral coated cotton canvas raincoat

6. Prada

Raf Simons and Miuccia Prada continued to blow us away with their second Prada collection. I’m sure you’ve seen the popular items from its spring collection popping up everywhere, and the buzzy fall 2021 pieces are sure to be a hit, too.

Prada knit turtleneck

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Prada slingback pump

7. Louis Vuitton

Photo: Courtesy of Louis Vuitton

Earlier this year, Louis Vuitton delighted us with the news of Naomi Osaka being appointed as a brand ambassador. And Nicolas Ghesquière’s Coussin handbag is making appearances on nearly every celebrities’ arms as of late.

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Louis Vuitton Vuittamins zip-up jacket

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Louis Vuitton Pochette Coussin handbag

8. Bottega Veneta

It has become a norm to see models, celebrities, and influencers wearing head-to-toe Bottega Veneta. Even musical icon Missy Elliott seems to be a fan, who starred in the brand’s first digital quarterly journal.

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Bottega Veneta Arco medium intrecciato leather tote

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Bottega Veneta intrecciato leather mules

9. Saint Laurent

Photo: Courtesy of Saint Laurent

Seeing Catherine Deneuve and Kate Moss in Saint Laurent’s spring 2021 ad campaigns made us all long to get dressed up again.

Saint Laurent pussy-bow silk crepe de Chine blouse

Saint Laurent boxy tweed jacket

10. Off-White

And Virgil Abloh’s label Off-White rounded up the list, thanks to a powerful “I Support Black Women” campaign with activist Trinice McNally and the announcement of not one but seven sneaker collaborations with Nike.

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Off-White Vulcanized new arrow canvas stripe sneakers

Off-White floating arrow sneakers