They say fashion puts society under a magnifying glass, and that’s never been as accurate as it is this year. Looking back 2017 has been a rollercoaster of events - from Trump’s inauguration to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s engagement - so it’s no wonder this year’s fashion mirrored the extremes of 2017. The data crunching brains at global fashion search engine Lyst have tracked their 80 million shoppers over 120 countries to reveal the items we most wanted over the past 12 months. And, it turns out they are just as idiosyncratic as this year’s new stories.
Go figure, the most searched brand was Gucci, which also took the top spot for the most searched handbag (the Marmot), shoes (GG Blooms Supreme Slides) and most liked item by Instagram influencers (Logo T-shirt and GG Belt).
However, the data did uncover some revelations. Following the Italian label, Forever 21 was the second most searched for brand. The American high street shop was followed by Balenciaga and Vetements, but also Free People and Topshop. We’re obviously not the only ones enjoying a high-low aesthetic.
Similarly erratic, the biggest trends of this year jumped from tailoring (think blazers and suits) to deconstructed and elevated streetwear. Lyst saw a 105% increase in searches for slogan t-shirts, with many results surfacing ‘woke’ messages about feminism or politics.
Regardless of all the klaxons ringing to notify us of the rise of millennial pink the hottest shade of the past 12 months was in fact red. The fiery hue saw a 102% rise in searches. After a boost from Emma Stone and La La Land, yellow took the third place while the muted tones of khaki and nude, so beloved by the Kardashians, took places four and five.
Unsurprisingly (considering how many Vogue covers she’s clocked) Rihanna was named most influential celeb. Second to her was Selena Gomez with her 120 million Instagram following, third was Bella Hadid and forth was Meghan Markle. However, Gigi Hadid and the Kardashian-Jenners didn’t make the cut. Soz.
Of the events that shaped this year, Lyst sees Rompergate as surprisingly important. Back in May, a bunch of bros created a Kickstarter revolution for male rompers, which led to a 620% peak in search interest for the term. The anniversary of Princess Diana's death in August birthed a renewed interest in her style, notably by Off-White and ASOS. And, of course, the release of Stranger Things' second season elicited interest. However, it wasn't for what you'd expect. A fan of the show would guess that 80s athleisure or denim might be the thing to pique Lyst users interest. But, it was, in fact, Dustin's dinosaur hoodie that engaged thousands of searches.