Prada reclaims fashion's hottest brand crown as distinctive style drives global appeal. Prada has returned to the top of the Lyst Index for Q3 2026, highlighting the growing importance of strong brand identity and cultural relevance in fashion. Celine, Dries Van Noten, Diesel and Khaite also gained momentum, demonstrating how standout products and distinctive aesthetics continue to shape consumer demand globally. Prada has reclaimed its position as the world's hottest fashion brand for the third quarter of 2026, reinforcing its status as one of the industry's most influential names and underlining the continued power of a clear creative vision in an increasingly competitive market. According to the latest Lyst Index rankings, the Italian luxury house's return to the top spot reflects the strength of its distinctive aesthetic and expanding cultural influence. In a fashion landscape crowded with brands competing for attention across social media, celebrity dressing and consumer trends, Prada's ability to maintain a recognisable identity appears to have resonated strongly with shoppers worldwide. Browse Trends The latest rankings offer a snapshot of changing consumer preferences and reveal a growing appetite for brands that combine authenticity with cultural relevance. Rather than chasing fleeting trends, the most successful labels are increasingly those that present a coherent point of view and products that connect with audiences on a deeper level. Among the most notable movements in the rankings was Celine's return to the top 10. The French fashion house climbed five places, signalling renewed momentum and highlighting the enduring appeal of brands with a strong design language. Its rise suggests consumers continue to reward labels that balance heritage with a contemporary edge. Another significant development came from Dries Van Noten, which entered the rankings for the first time. The debut marks a noteworthy achievement for the Belgian brand, long admired within fashion circles for its artistic approach and sophisticated use of colour and craftsmanship. Its appearance in the rankings indicates broader consumer recognition and growing global interest. Diesel also staged a comeback, further illustrating the value of a distinctive brand identity. The label has spent recent years strengthening its position through a bold aesthetic and high-profile visibility, helping it reconnect with both loyal customers and younger audiences seeking individuality in their wardrobes. Hire Brand Experts Meanwhile, Khaite secured the 20th position in the rankings, supported by demand for key products that have captured consumer attention. Among those standout items are the brand's Danielle jeans, which have emerged as a popular wardrobe staple, and its collaboration with eyewear specialist Oliver Peoples. Together, these products helped reinforce Khaite's growing reputation and visibility in the luxury market. The latest results point to a broader industry trend: consumers are increasingly gravitating towards brands that stand for something distinctive. Whether through iconic products, a clearly defined aesthetic or meaningful cultural relevance, today's fashion leaders are those capable of creating a lasting connection with audiences. For Prada, returning to the summit is a powerful endorsement of that approach. For the wider industry, the rankings serve as another reminder that success in modern fashion is no longer driven solely by heritage or scale. Instead, it is shaped by the ability to remain culturally resonant, creatively confident and instantly recognisable in a fast-moving global marketplace.

Made with love: Amber Valletta and Teddy Charles' new hair line. The pair, who met on a magazine shoot over a decade ago, are now in business together with a five-product collection under the brand name Maison Beaux. 01 October 2026 Key insights. * Amber Valletta and Teddy Charles are launching a hair care line, Maison Beaux, available Oct. 1 and soon after launching at Violet Grey. * Prestige hair care remains one of the fastest-growing beauty categories into early 2026. * Shoppers show growing scepticism towards celebrity-fronted beauty brands lacking real expertise. When Amber Valletta and Teddy Charles appear on a Zoom call from a warm, woody office in their Los Angeles home to discuss their new luxury hair-care line, Maison Beaux, it's hard not to notice that the twosome have virtually the same hairstyle. Parted in the middle, with tumbling waves and balayages that recall sunlight-dappled tree trunks, it's a fitting bit of twinning for the partners in love and, now, in business. "She wants to be like me," Charles joked. Valletta laughed. Charles, a French hairstylist, met Valletta, the top model, in 2013 when she was photographed by Norman Jean Roy for an interview in Allure. They started dating soon after. Charles had been privately incubating the idea for a hair-care collection after years of using products that either worked and were unpleasant to use, or pleasant to use and impotent. Valletta was meanwhile interested in raising the standard for luxury consumer goods towards sustainability. Between them, Maison Beaux was born. "We need to be better stewards of the planet and of each other. But also, I love hair and I love fashion. We should still be able to have fun and things should still be beautiful. Why can't we do the right thing at the same time?" said Valletta, who added she's "been an environmentalist her whole life." Available from Oct. 1 on its direct-to-consumer website, Maison Beaux's initial drop of five products - a shampoo and conditioner, hair-repairing mask, a volumising spray and styling cream ($42-$62) - will arrive at Violet Grey stores later this fall, with a major retail partner in the works for 2027, Valletta said. Over the years, Charles has styled Valletta for editorial shoots and events in a myriad of styles: microbangs, beachswept waves, bobs soft and sharp for red carpets, international Vogues, Met Galas. The two have been collaborators for about as long as they've been partners, with a deep-seated mutual respect that reveals itself in flickers during conversation. "Can I jump in?" Valletta said as Charles was finishing his description of the volumising spray Le Voluptuous. She wanted to emphasise the brand's "advanced clean science," and the lengths they have gone to in order to ensure the formulas and packaging are 99 percent vegan and biodegradable. The jar for Le Ultimate Mask is made of Vivomer, a compostable material from the UK company Shellworks. The rest of the range is packaged in handsome, chocolate-coloured matte aluminium bottles that can be recycled - a refill programme is coming soon, Valletta added, in the next 18 months - and reflect the label's luxury positioning. Valletta and Charles said they invested their own money into Maison Beaux, and are also backed by a "mix of institutional angel and investors" whom they declined to name. The pair has also brought on Stephanie Schwab-Bolivar, the former president of Khaite, to lead the brand. The line hits on a few currents in the contemporary beauty market: It has celebrity and expert co-founders and a range of products that, with their sumptuous textures and their sustainable positioning, cater to premiumising tastes. Prestige hair care was one of the fastest-growing beauty categories in the first half of 2026, according to Circana, as shoppers find reason to trade up to more expensive, "skinified" formulas. But the category in the US is already well-saturated, and the shoppers are sceptical about brands with famous faces unless they're Beyoncé. "Maison Beaux is not a celebrity brand," Charles said. "The hero is the product." A conscious coupling. Maison Beaux's first campaign is photographed by Craig McDean and art directed by Fabien Baron, two longtime friends and collaborators of the couple. "All of the brand, the packaging, the visuals - it's through a fashion lens," Valletta said. "The two of us grew up in fashion. It's all we know." Charles, who was born in Versailles, moved to Paris at 18 to become a hairdresser, working at the influential salon Masato before assisting Julien d'Ys and Orlando Pita. More recently, he's known for his session work on clients like Hailey Bieber and Kaia Gerber, favouring a clean-girlish glamour. "If you see my work, you know she's always got to look pretty," Charles said. Valletta, meanwhile, had been a supermodel for decades before turning her career to acting and then activism; she first waded into the world of conscious consumerism with the eco-friendly shopping platform Master and Muse, launched in 2013 with Yoox. (It shuttered in 2016.) She said the new brand operates according to the formulation guidelines set forth by the EU, and that she and her corporate social responsibility team will maintain vigilance over its supply chain. The range's orange blossom-based scent, designed by Jérôme Epinette, is a natural fragrance. "We want to be a lighthouse brand that is here to help serve the customer, but also the industry as a whole," Valletta said. But, as Charles pointed out, they also want the products to perform. The brand's mask claims a proprietary exosome-based delivery technology that spirits collagen proteins to the weakest parts of hair. Its Le Voluptuous spray forgoes popular polymers and alcohols that help make hair stand on end. "What we've done to build volume is unheard of," Valletta said. Charles alluded to a secret cabal of international session hairstylists who helped him test the products; he wouldn't name names, but said the line wouldn't have launched without their approval. The main distribution goal is to get it into salons, where the co-founders hope to start rolling out in January 2027. In hair care, stylist-founded brands command high credibility, but few have been able to translate their expertise into a luxury proposition - with the notable exception of Oribe. "It's extremely important to have credit from professionals, because that's where I come from," said Charles. For a moment, he turned sentimental. "For me to put a print in the hairdresser world, it means the world to me. This is my little baby." Valletta laughed again. "It's been a big baby." Analysis and advice on the fast-evolving beauty business.