006. On the chicness paradox & Copenhagen Fashion Week

hot brands & products, what it means to be "chic", why I'm obsessed with Copenhagen Fashion Week, and some really cool clothes

To be chic (in the context of fashion and style) is to master the paradox of tapping into the cultural zeitgeist while remaining impervious to its many mandates. To constantly toe the line between an in-the-know coolness and an intrinsically motivated sense of self, between an untouchable hotness and an understated humanity — sitting somewhere between the ephemeral and enduring.

“Chicness is, of course, amorphous—hard to pin down to a sum of parts, at once mystical and tangible.” (via Raven Smith for Vogue in 2023)

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Tik Tok’s "things I find extremely chic" trend does little to capture this tension, it does remind us that there is a tremendous amount of subjectivity at play. One woman’s “ick” is another’s “it girl” — making it all the more mystical, and thus, impossible to accurately predict or quantify.

The Lyst Index, a barometer of fashion's hottest brands and products, attempts to do so with a ranking system that utilizes a blend of sales, search data, and social engagement over a three-month period. While it’s not exactly a chicness score, placement on a list of this nature can still throw off an intentional positioning on the balance beam that is the chicness paradox.

Hotness vs. the “Human Aspect”

The Lyst Index dropped its Q2 list about a month ago, crowning Loewe (#1) as the hottest brand in the world right now. No stranger to sold out pieces & viral runway looks, the brand dethroned Miu Miu (#2) and Prada (#3), both of whom slipped down a spot since last quarter.