The luxury fashion landscape in 2025 was defined by a “great reset.” While traditional powerhouses like Gucci (down 26% in 2025) and Burberry (down 17%) struggle with brand fatigue and a cooling Chinese market, a new wave of independent and “quiet luxury” brands is capturing the cultural zeitgeist. This report ranks the top 10 brands disrupting the status quo, measured by the delta between their social media sentiment (brand “heat”) and their actual sales growth.
“The era of the ‘Mega Brand’ is being challenged by the ‘Meaningful Brand.’ In 2026, relevance is measured in cultural capital, not just door counts.” Jeanel Alvarado, Founder & CEO, Retailboss.
Top 10 “New Luxury” Power Ranked for 2026
The following table ranks brands based on their performance through 2025 and forecasts for 2026.
| Rank | Brand | Category | Sales Growth (2025) | Sentiment Score | Key Disruptor Trait |
| 1 | Miu Miu | High Fashion | +41% to +84% | Elite | “Little Sister” unseating the Big Brother (Prada) |
| 2 | Loewe | Artistic Luxury | Double Digit | Peak | Jonathan Anderson’s surrealist “Hottest Brand” status |
| 3 | The Row | Quiet Luxury | +125% (18mo) | Cult Like | Extreme scarcity and $1B valuation milestone |
| 4 | Alaïa | Heritage Indie | Triple Digit | Viral | The “Le Coeur” bag and mesh flat phenomena |
| 5 | Jacquemus | Digital Native | +30% | Massive | Direct to consumer mastery and beauty expansion |
| 6 | Khaite | Modern Minimal | +100% (Online) | High | New York’s answer to the Old Céline void |
| 7 | Phoebe Philo | Designer Led | +300% (YoY) | Fanatical | The return of the “Philophiles” in a post logo world |
| 8 | Brunello Cucinelli | Ultra Luxury | +11.5% | Stable | The “King of Cashmere” outperforming mass luxury |
| 9 | Bottega Veneta | Craft First | +3% (Comp) | Sophisticated | Maintaining “Intrecciato” heat without visible logos |
| 10 | Toteme | Scandi Chic | High Growth | Aesthetic | Accessible “Quiet Luxury” for the modern uniform |
Brief Brand Analysis
1. Miu Miu
Miu Miu has officially stepped out of Prada’s shadow, with 2025 marking a breakout year as it delivered a staggering 41% jump in nine month retail sales and some quarters soaring as high as 84% growth. Once the quirky sister brand, it has now become the true engine of growth for the Prada Group, successfully capturing Gen Z with its “ugliness as chic” aesthetic and viral collaborations, such as its tie up with New Balance. While Prada remains a luxury giant, Miu Miu is now the primary disruptor of the “serious” luxury market, redefining what aspirational fashion looks like for a new generation.
2. Loewe
Consistently ranked as the “Hottest Brand” on the Lyst Index in 2025/2026, Loewe has achieved what few 170 year old houses manage: genuine viral relevance in the age of algorithm driven fashion. Under Jonathan Anderson, the brand disrupts the “safe” luxury positioning of Gucci by delivering surrealist, artistic pieces from the Squeeze bag to pixelated ready to wear, that light up social media feeds while still commanding high margin sales, proving that conceptual design and commercial success can coexist.
3. The Row
The Row reached an estimated $1 billion valuation in late 2024, and in 2025 the brand reportedly delivered 125% sales growth over an 18 month period, with online revenue for key months such as September up 175% year over year. Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen have built the ultimate “if you know, you know” label: by banning phones at shows and refusing to participate in logo mania, they are quietly pulling the most affluent clients away from Hermès and Chanel, positioning The Row as the purest expression of modern stealth wealth.
4. Alaïa
Under Pieter Mulier, Alaïa has become the industry’s standout comeback story of 2025, jumping 12 places in the Lyst Index in a single quarter on the back of triple digit growth in accessories. The house disrupts the mass produced luxury of the big LVMH players by returning to near couture level construction, with its mesh flats and heart shaped bags emerging as some of the most sought after pieces of 2025 and proving that a heritage brand can be reborn through sharp, focused design.
5. Jacquemus
Jacquemus closed 2024 with revenue nearing €300 million, and set a 2025 target of €500 million, with its new beauty partnership with L’Oréal expected to accelerate growth further into 2026. Designer Simon Porte Jacquemus is arguably the first independent to build a global powerhouse off Instagram, bypassing traditional wholesale and leaning into experiential “pop up” concepts like Le Bleu and Le Panier, effectively disrupting the traditional luxury distribution model.
6. Khaite
For Khaite, online sales on khaite.com approached $2 million in November 2025 alone, while sell outs across categories jumped 106% year over year. Founder Catherine Holstein has created a distinctly New York luxury label that challenges European dominance, making Khaite the go to brand for the “cool girl” quiet luxury aesthetic and effectively stepping into the space once occupied by Phoebe Philo era Céline.
7. Phoebe Philo
In its second full year of trading in 2025, Phoebe Philo’s namesake label is reported to have tripled revenue to around $41 million (approximately £32 million). Her return has disrupted the “fast” luxury cycle by dropping tightly edited “Editions” instead of traditional seasons and maintaining high price points with no conventional advertising, proving that a designer’s own name and following can rival the heritage and marketing budgets of major luxury houses.
8. Brunello Cucinelli
Brunello Cucinelli reported record breaking 2025 sales of about €1.4 billion, an increase of 11.5%, and is guiding for a further +10% in 2026. While some Kering and LVMH brands saw declines, Cucinelli’s blend of “humanistic capitalism” and ultra quiet luxury remained remarkably resilient, disrupting trend driven giants by demonstrating that consistency, craftsmanship and extreme quality are the most recession proof luxury strategy.
9. Bottega Veneta
Bottega Veneta posted a more modest +3% comparable growth in 2025, but preserved strong profitability and intense “heat” in its accessories business. By doubling down on its iconic Intrecciato woven leather rather than loud logos, Bottega Veneta continues to set the benchmark for stealth wealth and successfully holds onto customers who are turning away from the over exposure of brands like Gucci.
10. Toteme
Though still private, Toteme rapidly expanded its brick and mortar footprint in 2025, opening stores in London, New York, and Seoul, with industry observers estimating high double digit growth. The brand disrupts the “aspirational” luxury tier by offering the quiet luxury polish of The Row or Loro Piana at a more accessible price point, capturing the entry level luxury shopper who has grown tired of the flashy logos associated with labels like Michael Kors or Coach.
Analysis: Sentiment vs. Sales Growth
The brands succeeding in 2026 share three commonalities:
1. Logo Less Identity: The highest growth is seen in brands where the design is the logo (Miu Miu’s silhouette, The Row’s tailoring, Loewe’s surrealism).
2. Niche over Mass: Traditional giants tried to be everything to everyone. The disruptors focus on a specific “tribe” (e.g., the “Philophiles” or the “Jacquemus girls”).
3. Resilient High Net Worth (HNW) Focus: Brands like Cucinelli and The Row are outperforming because their customers are less affected by global economic fluctuations than the “aspirational” middle class shopper.
