Gucci topped the prestigious The Lyst Index of the world’s hottest brands in Q2, dethroning Balenciaga, which held the spot for the last three quarters consecutively.

Gucci, under creative director Alessandro Michele, last held the spot in Q2 2021. Subsequently, Demna Gvasalia Balenciaga capitalised on a series of outstanding runway shows and collaborations with the likes of Fortnite, Kanye West and The Simpsons to rule The Lyst Index as the world’s hottest brand in Q3 2021, Q4 2021, and Q1 2022.

Why Gucci leads The Lyst Index top 20 hottest brands

The Lyst Index noted that Gucci’s rise in the list happened due to a series of successful launches of its latest collections.

Among these is the ‘Cosmogonie’ Resort ‘23 collection, which was presented in Puglia and the Gucci x Adidas collection which was dropped in June.

According to The Lyst Index, there was a 286 percent rise in searches for Gucci within 48 hours of its release of its collaboration with Adidas. In fact, the Gucci x Adidas Gazelle sneakers was the second hottest women’s products in The Lyst Index.

Another factor which worked in favour of Gucci was the Italian fashion brand’s collaboration with English singer-songwriter Harry Styles. Together, they launched the HA HA HA collection on 20 June in Milan, as part of Milan Men’s Fashion Week.

The collaboration included visually attractive sweater vests, flared pants, and animal-print motifs which Michele dubbed as the “dream wardrobe” for him and Styles.

The big gainers and losers in Q2

Trailing Gucci and Balenciaga on #3 on The Lyst Index of the world’s hottest brands in Q2 is Prada. The brand gained a place over the last quarter following its collaboration with Cassisus Hirst on a limited edition sneaker and its entry into Meta’s digital marketplace as