2019 in fashion according to Lyst

With the approach of the end of the year, Lyst, the leading search engine in the fashion world, has complied the Year in Fashion 2019 report, that goes over the last 12 months through the most desired and sought-after trends and items, as well as the most memorable moments of the year.
The data are the result of the researches of more than 104 million people that this year has used Lyst, analyzing the pages views and the sales of more than 6 million fashion items of more than 12k online store, taking into account also the mentions on social network and the online presence of the brands. 

The report is made of different sections and categories. When it comes to the movements, that's to say the social and political themes that have influenced the shopping choices of the users, in the first place we find sustainability: the researches for topics related to sustainability have increased by 75% on a yearly basis, with an average of 27k searches per month. Greater attention is directed towards sustainable fabrics like econly and organic cotton, while the most desired items were sustainable jeans and sneakers. Another important topic for shoppers is inclusivity. Fashion enthusiasts look for brands and products that reflect the needs and the taste of different communities, with a rise of 52% of researches for genderless or unisex fashion. 

Lyst's report takes into consideration the fashion moments that have left a mark in 2019. At the very top, we find the Viktor&Rolf Haute Couture fashion show of last January, the catwalk that broke Instagram with its meme-dresses. In just a couple of hours, the mentions of the brand and of its gowns increased by 249%. Characterizing this year there was also the farewell to Karl Lagerfeld in February, the Camp-themed MET Gala, the official debut of Fenty Maison by Rihanna, the new pact for sustainability sealed by Emmannuelle Macron and Kering CEO Pinault, the return of the iconic Jungle Dress worn by Jennifer Lopez on the catwalk of the Versace FW19 show - whose appearance caused an online buzz of the value of 9,4 million dollars. 

Guiding the list of celebs that have affected the number of researches, sales, news and mentions on social media the most, stands out the Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle, whose outfits have registered an increase of 216% of the search for items similar to the ones worn by her. Timothée Chalamet takes the second spot thanks to the Louis Vuitton harness worn at the Golden Globes and the Haider Ackermann outfit that made the researches for a suit of the brand grow by 806%. Other high profile names on the list are Euphoria star and Tommy Hilfiger close collaborator Zendaya, Billie Eilish, Cardi B, Lisa from the K-Pop band Blackpink, Kylie Jenner, Lizzo, Harry Styles e Billy Porter. 

It comes as no surprise that Bottega Veneta is the brand revelation of the year, establishing therefore as the label that has registered the highest peaks of interest in 2019. The merit goes to the renovation of the fashion house carried out by Daniel Lee amplified on Instagram by the success of @newbottega. Bottega Veneta leads also the list of the hottest items of the year with its Pouch Bag, that has caused more than 10k monthly views since its launch, with a boost of 297% in September. The searches for the Stretch Sandals of the same brand have increased by 471% in the month of July alone, becoming the items of the summer. Among the most sought-after products feature classic and timeless pieces such as the Gucci GG logo belt or the Jacquemus Le Chiquito bag. Quite unexpectedly the sneaker of the year is a silhouette by Alexander McQueen, looked upon Lyst every two seconds. 

The collaboration of the year is the one between Off-White and IKEA. The Swedish furniture chain had surprised the fans with an early release of the “KEEP OFF” carpet back in May, that went sold out in five minutes and that is now sold on eBay for seven times its original price. In the sneaker world, despite postponements and delays, the main protagonist was the sacai x Nike collabo, that in September made the researches for the kicks grow by 344%. Months after its first release, the Supreme x Stone Island collection is still one of the most searched for: the researches have grown by 72% in September only. 

The report offers moreover an interesting look at how the users made their purchases. 2019 saw a growth of 255% of the resale of luxury items on Lyst. According to a TheRealReal report, 32% of the customers see the shopping of second-hand pieces as an alternative to fast fashion, with Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Prada and Hermès among the most desired brands. Rent is progressively establishing as well, whose value is now esteemed at 1 billion dollars, and that could reach 1,9 billion dollars by 2023, thanks above all to Millennials, the main fans of this practice. More and more brands, staring with Gucci and Nike, have moreover begun to experiment with AR to let their customers virtually try on their products before purchasing them, basically introducing the 'virtual' category in the most important purchase method of the year. 

The Lyst report comes to an end with a look towards the future, marking next months will inevitably be the political and sports agenda. Not only the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, which will cause an increase of the research for Japanese brands, but also the US elections, that will affect the searches of the brands worn by the candidates and the four Mars missions scheduled for the next months, that have already caused the return on the catwalk of holographic fabrics, space outerwear and innovative design. Eyes set on two of the most interesting brands of the last few years, bound to grow even more next year: ALYX and Marine Serre.