What makes Saint Laurent the hottest brand of the moment? The brand strategy behind the House's top ranking in the Lyst Index for the third quarter of 2025

The fashion world is buzzing with a name that now stands at the top—not just as a legend, but as the most incandescent reality of the moment, more precisely of the third quarter of 2025: Saint Laurent. For the first time, the Parisian house has risen to the number one spot in the ranking of hottest brands established by Lyst, dethroning Miu Miu and crowning the bold strategy led by Anthony Vaccarello. A meteoric rise that is no coincidence, but the culmination of a perfect alchemy between revolutionary heritage and a resolutely contemporary positioning. As searches for the brand’s loafers, micro bags, and boots exploded on the platform, Saint Laurent managed the feat of embodying desire, mystery, and power while opening its doors to a new generation. But what exactly explains this surge in popularity for the French maison?

The art of seduction according to Saint Laurent lies in a finely tuned strategic balance. While the offer extends from ready-to-wear to jewelry, leather goods remain the backbone, representing over 70% of total revenue. This is where part of the economic magic lies: the brand implements a pricing strategy for its bags that, while high-end, offers a more accessible entry point than direct competitors like Dior or Chanel. An essential gateway to attract young consumers, drawn to the timeless aura of its creations while benefiting from the buzz generated by social media. The  SS26 show, held in Paris on September 29 at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, confirmed this formula by seating front-row icons such as Hailey Bieber, Zoe Kravitz, Charli XCX, and Rosé from Blackpink—triggering a digital tidal wave that extended the house’s influence to a much broader audience and created a desired sense of closeness.

But the fire that fuels Saint Laurent burns far beyond the runway. Anthony Vaccarello, its creative director since 2016, has in recent years transformed the house into a true cultural empire. He is the mastermind behind Saint Laurent Productions, a unique cinematic entity that co-produces daring works such as Pedro Almodóvar’s Strange Way of Life, Jacques Audiard’s Emilia Perez, and Paolo Sorrentino’s Parthenope. Saint Laurent’s cultural immersion does not stop at the 7th art—it extends into design through the LIFESTYLE collection, offering luxurious everyday objects, as well as major exhibitions like the one dedicated to Charlotte Perriand in Paris and the SELF photographic series, where renowned artists capture and share the brand’s free spirit across France. Through books (with the Babylone gallery/bookstore in the 7th arrondissement of Paris), cinema, music—such as the recent hypnotic video Blurry Moon by Charlotte Gainsbourg—and even gastronomy with the Sushi Park installation in Paris, Vaccarello and, consequently, Saint Laurent anchor the house in a dimension that transcends fashion, one project at a time.

A strategy of influence amplified by a masterful cast of muses: on one side, a new guard embodying a chic, dreamlike lifestyle, including Hailey Bieber, Zoe Kravitz (for Black Opium), Dua Lipa (for Libre), Rosé, and Austin Butler (for YSL Beauty)—each appearance going viral (like Charli XCX’s dress at the 5th Academy Museum Gala in Los Angeles). On the other side, timeless icons such as Kate Moss and Chloë Sevigny for the Velvet Heat Fall-Winter 2025-2026 campaign, or Gwyneth Paltrow photographed by Annie Leibovitz for Vogue, ensuring the continuity of elegance. While Kering’s third-quarter 2025 results showed revenue of 620 million euros with a decline in sales (-7% reported), the brand showed strong sequential improvement with double-digit growth in ready-to-wear and footwear, proving that its core product is today more desirable than ever.