Nike Overtakes Off-White as Hottest Apparel Brand During Pandemic

The latest Lyst Index reveals how people have been shopping over the past few months.

Each quarter, global fashion search platform Lyst puts together a ranking of the hottest fashion brands during that period; and while this report always offers insight into what brands are "cool" at any given time, we were particularly interested to see the results from Q2 2020.

It's no secret that the coronavirus pandemic has had a significant impact on shopping habits, as did the racial justice movement spurred by George Floyd's death. Reports — including our own survey — have shown that while store closures may have put a dent in brick-and-mortar sales, people have been doing quite a bit of online shopping.

It seems that what's changed the most is what they shop for and the level of consciousness around where they shop. According to Lyst's data, culled from 9 million monthly shoppers and 12,000 designers and stores, the events of the past few months converged to make Nike the hottest brand of the quarter, overtaking longtime leader Off-White. It's the first time since Lyst began compiling these lists that a luxury fashion brand didn't come in first.

"Nike was propelled by a 106% increase in demand for loungewear and activewear, as consumers sought comfortable clothes to wear at home, as well as attire for exercise and outdoor activities," reads the report. "A series of powerful earned and owned brand moments boosted the brand throughout the quarter, at a time when some luxury fashion brands struggled to generate as many impressions as usual with events such as The Met Gala and men's fashion week cancelled."

Specifically, Nike saw a 75% increase in digital sales, which helped offset declines in brick-and-mortar. It also released the Air Jordan X Dior sneakers, pledged $40 million to social justice organizations and saw an uptick in searches in response to popular docuseries "The Last Dance."

Off-White still came in at a respectable second place, thanks in part to producing the most popular menswear face mask per Lyst's data. It's followed by Gucci, up one spot from last quarter, then Balenciaga, down two spots, and Prada, which stayed the same. Jacquemus also saw a notable jump this quarter — up four spots to number 11. With a 61% increase in traffic on Lyst and 20% growth in Instagram followers, Jacquemus is definitely one to watch.

Our new homebound lifestyles also appeared to have an impact on the quarter's hottest individual products: For women, Birkenstock Arizona slides, the official footwear of picking up your Postmates order, took the top spot. Number two was the limited-edition Marine Serre moon-print face mask, followed by that Loewe basket bag. Calvin Klein bralettes, Prada Nylon shorts and Nike tennis skirts also made the list.

Meanwhile, a couple of pop culture-inspired items made it to the list of hottest men's products, including Harry Styles's JW Anderson patchwork cardigan and a Balenciaga locket necklace. Lyst attributes an increased interest in men's jewelry to noted chain wearer Connell from Hulu's "Normal People."

Check out the full report here.

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