Investing.com — Prada, Michael Kors and Alaïa recorded the strongest combined digital brand rankings among soft-luxury names during the second quarter, according to BofA’s latest Brand Leading Indicator.
The indicator ranks 43 soft-luxury brands based on social media followers, online searches, and website traffic. Momentum receives a 60% weighting, with digital presence accounting for the remaining 40%.
Prada ranked first overall, followed by Michael Kors and Alaïa. Michael Kors led a three-month momentum after Google searches surged from a low base during April and May, lifting it from 33rd place in the first quarter.
Prada and Alaïa were identified as the strongest brands in the first half of 2026, maintaining consistently high positions across both quarters.
Chanel showed the biggest improvement late in the period, climbing from 10th in April to first in June as interest grew around Matthieu Blazy’s collection. Alaïa and Coach ranked second and third, respectively, for June.
Gucci’s quarterly momentum ranking improved by 20 places to sixth, supported by stronger US website traffic, online searches and promotional events. Saint Laurent rose five positions to 16th, though fellow Kering brand Balenciaga dropped from 13th to 35th.
Among LVMH brands, Loro Piana returned to the top 10 at seventh, with Louis Vuitton climbing to 10th from 28th. Dior finished 31st after Chinese search activity weakened through the quarter.
Swatch led hard luxury, helped by online interest surrounding its Royal Pop pocket watch collaboration with Audemars Piguet. Jaeger-LeCoultre and Tissot placed second and third in the combined ranking.
Digital engagement across the soft-luxury sector increased 18% year over year, marking a fifth consecutive quarter of acceleration. Google searches rose 47%, website traffic grew 39%, and Chinese Baidu activity remained down 18%.
Excluding unusually strong Google search figures, overall online activity still improved by 7 percentage points from the first quarter, supporting expectations for continued luxury demand recovery led by the US and South Korea.
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