The second quarter of 2025 was a reality check for fashion brands. Economic uncertainty had consumers thinking twice about every purchase, but the data says they didn't stop buying clothes. They just got picky about what deserved their money.

The Lyst Index shoppers globally and the results are clear. While luxury brands scrambled, the winners were brands that understood customers wanted pieces that felt intentional, rather than accidental. For DTC brands using Airventory's catalog, this creates a massive opportunity.

What Actually Sold

SKIMS claimed the number two hottest product spot with their basic white tank. Not a limited drop or celebrity collab - a white tank that people searched for obsessively. Searches for athletic-inspired pieces jumped 78% quarter-over-quarter, proving the performance-meets-fashion trend has serious staying power.

Along with this, minimalism dominated, but not the sterile kind from five years ago. COS remained the only high-street brand in the top 10 hottest brands, growing through elevated basics that felt substantial rather than basic. Their success came from making simple pieces feel special through thoughtful design details.

Miu Miu held the hottest brand crown with pieces that balanced preppy nostalgia and contemporary edge. On a similar note, Burberry re-entered the top 20 rankings for the first time in a year, riding a "cool Britannia" wave with their Burberry Festival campaign that resonated across demographics. Its clear that nostalgia works when it's filtered through modern sensibilities and as Burberry claims its definitely 'center stage'.

How Brands Can Capitalize

The beauty of this shift toward minimalism is that it levels the playing field. When customers prioritize design over hype, execution matters more than marketing budgets. Brands working with essential pieces like tees, hoodies, and tanks are perfectly positioned to capture this moment.

Minimalism Is Back, But Make It Rich

That SKIMS tank didn't win because of revolutionary design, it won because of confident simplicity executed flawlessly. If your using our tank, your designs should embrace this energy. Think single-color graphics that feel intentional rather than applied. Simple wordmarks in perfectly chosen typefaces. Clean layouts that let the design breathe.

Unless your brand is built around maximalism or your brand embodies loud design, avoid busy graphics right now. The winning aesthetic is confident restraint. A simple logo placement beats a complex all-over print every time. Your customers are buying into clarity, not chaos.

Athletic Codes Without Athletic Branding

Sports shorts saw 121% growth this quarter, highlighting the popularity of retro-athleticism. Your hoodies, tees and sweatshirts should borrow athletic design language without screaming "gym wear." Think university-inspired typography, vintage sports fonts, numbers that suggest teams without copying them.

The key is suggestion over statement. A simple "04" in the right font tells a story. A single stripe detail references athletic design without being literal. Your customers want pieces that feel like they could belong to an imagined athletic program or fictional team.

Nostalgia Needs Modern Translation

Y2K references drove significant growth this quarter, but successful brands didn't just copy 2000s aesthetics. They filtered them through contemporary taste levels. Your approach should do the same. A 1990s athletic font gains power when rendered in today's preferred earth tones. Nostalgic graphics work when they feel discovered rather than obvious. Think archived team logos for universities that never existed, vintage graphics that reference decades without costume-play.

The Design Philosophy That's Winning

While maximalist brands grabbed headlines, the real winners understood that less is more when executed perfectly. Rohe grew 27% this quarter through refined design choices that felt intentional rather than busy. The brands that succeeded focused on confident graphic design over complex compositions.

Your designs should embrace this philosophy. Clean typography feels premium. Simple graphics photograph beautifully for social media. Well-executed minimalism avoids the cluttered look that screams amateur hour.

Product Strategy That Actually Works

Coach saw 332% yearly growth by focusing on craftsmanship narratives over trend-chasing. Your product lines need that same narrative weight. Build collections around concepts rather than random designs. A "University Archive" collection tells a story. A "Training Ground" series creates cohesion. A "Studio Essentials" range promises reliability.

Product naming drives perception. "Foundation Tank" suggests purpose. "Archive Crewneck" implies history. "Essential Tee" promises reliability. These aren't just names - they're positioning statements that help customers understand what they're buying into.

What to Design Right Now

The data shows customers are gravitating toward pieces that feel permanent rather than temporary. Successful brands this quarter built designs so aligned with their vision that when trends caught up, they were already there.

Focus on graphics that could have existed five years ago and will still feel relevant in five years. Timeless typography over trendy fonts. Classic layouts over experimental compositions. Confident simplicity over complex graphics.

The most successful launches this quarter felt inevitable rather than surprising. Not because they were obvious, but because they were so well-considered they seemed like natural extensions of existing culture rather than forced trend-chasing.

Stay focused on building designs that outlast the trend cycle. The data is clear about what people want. Now design it.