Image Name: Lyst’s Index & The LVMH Paradox
Image Credit: Fashion United
With each passing season, one finds that fashion trends, customer behavior, and even the power of brands are in an endless state of change. And Lyst’s Index is one of the very effective ways to follow those changes. Updated every three months, Lyst’s Index is a list of the best fashion brands and items from around the world. Lyst’s Index offers a window into what the consumers want. However, a persistent question remains: why does the largest luxury conglomerate globally, LVMH, not achieve the expected success in topping this index? Today’s blog covers Lyst’s Index, the role of LVMH, and the paradox behind this complicated view of today’s luxury fashion.
Where do I look for Lyst’s Index?
The fashion shopping site Lyst collects information from millions of shoppers around the world. It looks at search history, sales, and social media activity to see which brands and goods are popular. Lyst’s Index comes out every three months and ranks the top 20 names based on the following criteria:
- Number of online searches
- Conversions to sales
- Engagement and comments on social media
- Effects of celebrities and influencers
This score has evolved into a highly useful indicator of what people are interested in, showing which brands best capture the current fashion mood.
The Odd Rankings: Why LVMH Brands Don’t Always Emerge Victorious
LVMH is Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, the world’s largest luxury conglomerate. It has many big names under its umbrella, including Louis Vuitton, Dior, Fendi, Givenchy, Loewe, Celine, and Marc Jacobs. LVMH is never at the very top of Lyst’s Index, and there’s not much money in this company, but it’s the name of the brand that takes the lead and wins rank—like Balenciaga, Gucci, Prada, or Miu Miu.
This makes me wonder: If LVMH is the biggest name in high-end fashion, why aren’t their brands always at the top of Lyst’s Index?
The Strange Case Exclusiveness vs. Virality
This contradiction is a big part of the reason LVMH has always placed such value on prestige and exclusivity: to keep its brands aspirational rather than too accessible. For viral “things,” they tend to have a lot to do with how well something does with lots of people and how much they interact with it online.
This is why LVMH names might not always be at the top of Lyst’s Index:
- What draws people to hype-driven brands?
Brands like Balenciaga and Prada thrive because they feed off the buzz. Some brands, such as Balenciaga, use controversy in designs and partnerships to make news and spread the word on social media. Although LVMH names are known, they care more about heritage and craftsmanship than making viral videos.
- A Focus on History Instead of Fashion
People who prefer old luxury over new playfulness love Louis Vuitton, Dior, and Celine. Lyst’s Index, on the other hand, loves brands that are searched for a lot and have so much social interaction, which doesn’t really equate to how subtle and trend-oriented LVMH brands are seen.
Image Name: Luxury Fashion Trends
Image Credit: Fashion United
- A strategy with less digital activity
Digital engagement, including celebrity endorsements and social media virality, plays a huge role in Lyst’s Index. Generally, LVMH brands maintain a measured approach in their digital strategy, steering clear of PR stunts and influencer marketing that exceed acceptable boundaries. Gucci and Miu Miu, on the other hand, have been quick to latch onto TikTok trends and pop culture moments, which has helped them climb the ranks.
- LVMH’s business model is the money-making rather than the buzz-generation model.
LVMH is more interested in a business than in viral moments. Therefore, their brands are worthwhile, and they will surely benefit in the long run. A viral moment may make people look more, but LVMH cares more about keeping customers and giving them an impressive experience while shopping for luxury goods than looking in the short term.
Some LVMH brands stand above the rest at other times.
LVMH brands don’t always stand out on Lyst’s Index, but when they do, they do some pretty incredible things like going viral or being important in pop culture. Some examples are
It was Dior’s Saddle Bag return that sent the brand to the roof in 2018.
Louis Vuitton’s collaborations with artists such as Yayoi Kusama and Pharrell Williams give that brand a brief spike in online interest. The weird and wacky designs coming out of Jonathan Anderson’s vision for Loewe sometimes top that list.
What Does This Say About High-End Styles?
Lyst’s Index shows just how wide this gap is between high-end brands that desire to be cool online and brands that want exclusivity. So what does that say about the fashion business?
Both hype and heritage are important for long-term success. Going viral may help sales in the short term, but a strong luxury character is key to keeping it going.
Now more than ever, social media is important—if they want to attract new groups of shoppers, even well-known brands need to go digital.
It’s still best to be exclusive—even though LVMH has lower scores on Lyst’s Index, it still does very well. This shows that exclusivity and brand prestige still bring in money.
Who Really Comes Out on Top?
Lyst’s Index is a useful tool for figuring out how popular a brand is, but it doesn’t always mean that the brand has achieved financial success or real luxury status. Even though it doesn’t win these rankings often, LVMH is still number one and the most financially powerful luxury group. Instead of aiming for virality, LVMH strategically positions its brand to be desirable, difficult to acquire, and profitable.
The LVMH paradox shows the fashion world that being visible isn’t enough to be successful. You also need to have impact, a history, and a plan for strategic growth. Every elite brand has to find its own way to stay relevant in a fashion world that is always changing, whether it’s through hype or history.
