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Dior, Birkenstock and Crocs Have More In Common Than You Think

Nary a heel or tailored waistband insight, items on the Lyst Index of the hottest products of Q3 2020 reflect the sweeping casualization of fashion. With consumers working from home, or scaling back their time in the office and in other social gatherings, the need for polished pieces has given way to sweatpants, sneakers and clogs. The designs of these back-to-basics items, however, remain impactful, luxurious and covetable.

To find the world’s hottest products, the online fashion search platform filters more than eight million items by volume of social media mentions, searches, page views, interactions and sales across thousands of online stores.

“The coronavirus pandemic continues to upend the fashion industry and change consumers’ habits, but one thing is clear: fashion isn’t going out of fashion,” Lyst stated.

Case in point: the “hottest” men’s product in Q3 was the limited-edition Dior x Nike Air Jordan 1 High OG, a sneaker collaboration that both fans of the luxury label and sneaker collectors alike pounced on when it launched this summer. Anticipation for the category-crossing collaboration has been mounting. The partnership was announced in December, and then Dior postponed the release date in March due to coronavirus outbreak. The sneaker sold out immediately when it finally dropped via a raffle in July for $2,200 and has since become a hot-ticket item on the sneaker resale circuit, selling for as high as $10,125 on Stockx.

Dior, Birkenstock and Crocs Have More In Common Than You Think
Dior x Nike Air Jordan 1 High OG Courtesy

In general, the remaining hottest men’s products for the quarter are a hybrid of this high-meets-low, comfortable-yet-luxe pandemic style. The No. 2 hottest product is Birkenstock’s Boston clog, a style that dates back to 1979, followed by No. 3 Nike Tech Fleece joggers, No. 4 Ugg Scuff Deco slippers and No. 5 Balenciaga logo socks.

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Rapper Travis Scott is collaborating with everyone from PlayStation to McDonald’s, but his collaboration Nike—the Air Max 270 Cactus Trails sneakers—lands at No. 6. on the index. As one of the most directional items on the index, No. 7 Prada leather combat boots with a side pouch represents the aggressive outsole trend in men’s and women’s footwear this fall. Comfort essentials round out the men’s list, including No. 8, Patagonia’s Baggies shorts made from recycled nylon, No. 9 Adidas face cover and No. 10. Off-White’s Airport Tape hoodie.

Though more luxury brands like Burberry and Missoni are stepping into the mask category, the popularity of the Adidas face mask—a simple black mask with a white logo—indicates how some consumers are taking a less-is-more approach to mask-wearing. Demand for face masks, however, steadily rose 389 percent in the quarter, Lyst reported.

What the men’s index lacks in style statements and color, the Lyst Index of the hottest women’s products in Q3 makes up with prints and bold accessories.

Telfar’s signature shopping bag, which Lyst describes as “the hottest product in the world,” ranks No. 1 on the women’s index. Searches for the bag spiked 270 percent during the quarter.

From clogs to sweat pants, the products on the Lyst Index of the hottest products of Q3 2020 reflect the sweeping casualization of fashion.
Telfar shopping bag Vanni Bassetti/WWD

The faux leather bag’s accessible $150 starting price point surely resonates with cash-strapped consumers, but Telfar’s inclusive motto, “Not for you, for everyone,” and founder Telfar Clemen’s rising star is attracting attention. Over the quarter, founder Clemens won the CFDA award, U.S. Representative (D-N.Y. 14th District) Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez posted about her Telfar bag on Instagram, and the designer announced a collaboration with Ugg.

No. 2 Marine Serre’s crescent moon stretch top, No. 3 Jacquemus’ Le Bob bucket hat, No. 4 Bottega Veneta Tire boots (a Chelsea/combat boot hybrid with a translucent outsole) and No. 5 House of Sunny’s Hockey dress confirms that ’90s raver style is back. The House of Sunny dress—a knit green dress with psychedelic swirls—sold out after supermodel Kendall Jenner wore the frock in an Instagram post shared with her 140 million followers. Online searches for the brand rose 45 percent, Lyst reported.

Dior, Birkenstock and Crocs Top Lyst Index of Q3 2020's Hottest Items
Kendall Jenner in House of Sunny dress | Instagram @kendalljenner

And just like the ’90s, Prada is back in the spotlight, thanks in part to Raf Simons joining the Italian fashion house. The brand’s chunky logo loafers ranked No. 6.

Ganni’s leather balloon-sleeve dress—a summery silhouette remade in a fall/winter fabrication—landed at No. 7, while an iconic leather item, Chanel’s classic double flap bag, secured the No. 8 spot. Consumers, however, searched for pre-owned versions of the pricey handbag.

Justin Bieber’s Crocs collaboration may make it onto the next index, but the hottest way to wear the brand’s signature clogs in Q3 was the Grateful Dead x Chinatown Market x Croc collaboration. The No. 9 tie-dye clogs generated a virtual queue of over 45,000 people hoping to buy a pair on launch day, Lyst reported.

Though logo mania has died down, Fendi nabbed the No. 10 position with its FF hoop earrings.