The most in-demand fashion buys of 2026 so far include Chanel’s Maxi Flapbag, Vivienne Westwood’s Long Fond draped gown and Celine’s lace-up ballet shoes …
With the first quarter of the year done and dusted, it’s an apt time to take stock. Of viral fashion moments, that is. The Lyst Index, a quarterly fashion index that documents the industry’s most in-demand brands and products, has dropped its first report of the year – and the results are a veritable mixed bag.
The key finding? Shopping is no longer a simple ‘add to cart’ fluid movement. Cultural resonance and AI-driven search influence how we spend. Interestingly, it’s often a reference point, not a trend, that creates buzz around a fashion brand or sell-out product. See Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy’s 90s minimalist moment in Love Story: John F Kennedy Jr and Carolyn Bessette, Margot Robbie wearing Vivienne Westwood to promote Wuthering Heights, or the renewed focus around Chanel thanks to the brand’s viral runway shows, masterminded by creative director Matthieu Blazy.
Image: The Lyst Index.
According to Lyst, this indicates a shift in how we search: “In an AI-influenced landscape, journeys are increasingly reference-led rather than product-led. Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy becomes the search term — a proxy for mood, identity and aesthetic from which product discovery follows.”
So, which are the top ten products of 2026 so far? Leading the charge is Saint Laurent’s Stand-Collar jacket, with demand spiking +5,550% between January and March. Meanwhile, Celine’s lace-up ballet shoes rank at number four on the list, with searches up 300% in the last three months. With Chanel celebrating peak cultural visibility, the brand’s embossed pumps and Maxi Flapbag both rank within the top ten. Adidas’ Chinese-inspired track top ranks at number three after seeing a spike (+960%) in searches after Lunar New Year in March. Lastly, there’s a shout out to John F Kennedy Jr, as Kangol’s Tropic 504 flat-cap made it into the list at number ten, after appearing in Love Story: John F Kennedy Jr and Carolyn Bessette.
In affordable fashion, high street brands COS and Massimo Dutti both ranked in the top 20 hottest brands of the year so far (with the former notably ranking higher than luxury brands The Row, Chloé and Bottega Veneta). According to Lyst, popularity for COS and Massimo Dutti is “driven by demand for basics including casual jackets and knitwear, respectively”.
Shop our edit of 2026’s viral fashion buys:
Green and black crocodile-embossed leather pumps, Chanel, €1,300, at Brown Thomas.
Chocolate brown Long Fond draped satin gown, Vivienne Westwood, €696; www.mytheresa.com.
Black Maxi Flapbag leather and silver metal bag, Chanel, €7,600, at Brown Thomas.
White lace-up leather ballet shoes, €790; www.celine.com.
Navy mini canvas tote bag, $2.59; www.traderjoes.com.
Black SL-854 butterfly sunglasses, €450; www.ysl.com.
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