Sustainability, Off-White and Meghan Markle: fashion highlights of 2019

What do streetwear, Zendaya, Off-White, sustainability and Ikea have in common? They were all among the hottest topics in the fashion world this year, according to the Year in Fashion 2019 report by global fashion search platform Lyst. The report, which analysed the data from 104 million shoppers, summarises the biggest trends from the year. Here’s a rundown of the highlights.

Sustainability

Quite unsurprisingly, sustainability dominated shoppers' online searches in 2019, as concerns over the impact the fashion industry has on the environment continue to grow. Searches including sustainability-related keywords soared 75 percent year-on-year, with an average of 27,000 sustainable fashion searches made each month. Specific searches for more eco-friendly materials also shot up, with searches rising for econyl (102 percent), organic cotton (52 percent), repreve (130 percent), and tencel (42 percent). Denim and sneakers were the most popular sustainable products.

Streetwear

The streetwear trend also continued to grow, with shoppers increasingly willing to dish out more money as the trend shifts further upmarket. Shoppers spent an average of 192 dollars on a new pair of sneakers this year, up 39 percent from 2018, while the average spend on a t-shirt also rose by 16 percent to 67 dollars. Virgil Abloh’s luxury-meets-streetwear brand Off-white took the crown as the most-searched brand of the year.

Hottest brands

While Off-white saw the most searches of the year, breakout brands - ones which showed the biggest spikes in interest over the course of 2019 - were Bottega Veneta, which saw demand for its accessories spiked 53 percent and climbed 21 places in the Q3 Lyst Index hottest brands ranking; Pyer Moss, which saw a 226 percent spike in searches after presenting its SS20 collection in September at New York Fashion Week; and Jacquemus, which saw searches increase 37 percent in June after its SS20 show in the lavender fields of Provence.

Most anticipated collabs

In terms of collaborations, and this year saw its fair share, Off-White again made its way into the report thanks to its collab with Ikea. Launching in November, Off-White x Ikea was met with huge demand. Its early drop of the “KEEP OFF” rug in May sold out in just five minutes and has since been resold for up to seven times its retail price on eBay. The collaboration between Sacai and Nike also made its way onto the list, with the launch of the second set of Sacai x Nike LDWaffle sneakers in September sparking a 344 percent jump in searches for the collaboration.

Best-dressed celebs

Celebrities, as always, were a big driver of fashion trends this year, with consumers keeping an eye on what their favourite stars were wearing to influence their own wardrobes. In terms of celebrities racking up the biggest spikes in searches, sales, news coverage and social media mentions, the Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle was the most influential, with her outfits resulting in a 216 percent increase of searches for similar pieces.

Actors Zendaya and Timothée Chalamet took second and third place, respectively, with the former’s light-up Cinderella gown by Tommy Hilfiger worn at the Met Gala causing a 54 percent rise in searches for the brand, and the latter’s sequin hoodie worn to the UK premiere of The King sparking a 192 percent rise in searches for men’s hoodies.

Photo: Off/White SS20, via Catwalkpictures