- Secondhand luxury platform The RealReal has a trove of data about the hottest brands.
- Demand for trendy items influences how they're priced on The RealReal.
- These are the brands that two executives from The RealReal say you should buy now.
It's the most wonderful time of the year to be a shopper — but anyone who wants lasting bang for their buck knows to look beyond 2024's biggest trends and choose styles that will last.
Two experts from The RealReal, chief creative officer Kristen Naiman and associate director of fashion Noelle Sciacca, broke down which brands and trends shoppers should add to their carts now before they sell out or get more expensive on the secondhand market.
Using customer data, including about which designers are seeing spikes in search queries, the company can predict budding trends, Naiman said on "The Cutting Room Floor" podcast last week.
The RealReal prices its items based on several variables, including seasonality, condition, availability, and demand, measured through search volume and how quickly items sell out.
The more popular a brand gets, the more expensive it can become, Naiman said on the podcast.
These are the hottest brands to buy this season to be on-trend — and avoid overpaying for — next year, according to Naiman and Sciacca.
Bally
"Bally is super hot right now," Naiman said of the Swiss brand, which is already popular among "diehard, interesting fashion people."
It's only a matter of time before it goes mainstream, she added, telling "The Cutting Room Floor" host Recho Omondi that if she wants to buy an item from Bally, she should "do it now."
The brand began to surge earlier this year; Bally sales were up 42% year-over-year in August, Sciacca told Business Insider.
Romeo Gigli
Romeo Gigli is "really trending right now" for vintage-lovers, Naiman told Omondi. The Italian brand became a staple in the 1980s and early 1990s for its romantic style and soft tailoring.
Although its popularity dwindled over the years, Naiman predicted a resurgence.
Styles from the designer's heydey are "particularly captivating consumers," Sciacca said.
Brands like Miu Miu and Loewe will continue to be popular
Miu Miu is among the hottest labels of 2024, with retail sales up 86% in the first half of the year. Sciacca and Naiman don't foresee that changing.
Searches are surging on The RealReal, particularly for the brand's bags and sunglasses, with queries up 100% and 212% year-over-year, Sciacca said.
Handbags from Loewe continue to be popular as well.
The label's Puzzle Tote "is selling for an impressive 90% of its original price, while searches for the Flamenco bag have jumped 87% year-over-year," Sciacca said.
Moschino will kick off the year in a big way
"Moschino is a brand to watch as expressive styles gain momentum over uniform dressing," Sciacca said. "We're kicking off 2025 with a Moschino spotlight on-site."
The Italian designer is known for its lighthearted take on fashion.
Customers are searching for Ralph Lauren and Alaïa
Both Ralph Lauren and Alaïa are seeing surges in search queries on The RealReal. The former is experiencing a 57% increase in searches this quarter compared to last year, while searches for the latter have risen 29% year-over-year.
For Alaïa, there is particular interest in handbags, including the most recent styles and vintage pieces from the 1980s and 1990s.