Today Lyst has released its latest installment of the The Lyst Index Report, ranking the hottest brands and products of Q2. Loewe takes the top spot after a number of high-profile activations this year, such as sponsoring the Met Gala and its creative director Jonathan Anderson designing the costumes for Challengers. However, among the powerful heritage brands, such as Prada, Bottega Veneta and Saint Laurent, that usually dominate the power list, was the contemporary woven-leather accessories brand Dragon Diffusion, which had a 197 per cent increase in searches quarter-on-quarter.
Luxury prices continue to spiral, so it’s not surprising that there is high demand for elevated, beautifully constructed handbags that don’t cost the price of a small car. Founded in 1985 by Craig Wright, traditional basket weaving techniques are used to create leather totes that are handwoven by artisans in India and all cost under £500. Ashley Olsen is a fan of the Nantucket bag, however this year the key style has been the Santa Croce – a tote bag that flares at the base – which ranked fifth on Lyst’s hottest product list.
When I started a maternity cover role at British Vogue last year, I invested in the Tokyo woven tote in a rich, dark green shade with mahogany-hued leather handles, to stop myself carting my laptop around in a scruffy canvas tote bag. Eighteen months later, it is still looking just as elegant as the day I bought it, without any of the damage to handles that you typically see with a well-used laptop bag. And trust me, I haven’t been precious with it, as I see my handbags as a vessel for “stuff”. My Dragon Diffusion tote often resembles a chaotic top drawer.
Investing in a beautiful chuck-everything-in bag (and saying goodbye to canvas totes), has instantly made all of my outfits look more polished and considered, and it’s an investment I wish I’d made earlier. It is quite possibly the one item I own that I have received the most compliments on – a couple of months ago I bumped into the influencer Lizzy Hadfield in a beer garden in Clapton and she bought the same bag that evening. Two days later she tagged me in a post about her new purchase, and since then it has been a permanent fixture on her feed (often overspilling with books, headphones, house keys and the like).
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