The Glossy 50 honors the year’s biggest changemakers across fashion and beauty. More from the series →
The brains behind the year’s buzzy brands and viral products.
Stefano Caroti, president and CEO of Deckers, characterized the success of both Ugg and Hoka as a process that was years in the making.
Out of all their recent accomplishments, Erin and Sara Foster seem to regard the success of Favorite Daughter as the most unexpected — in part, because they’re “not fashion girls,” according to Sara. Indeed, regardless of founder or fashion savvy, the brand’s growth has been extraordinary: Its e-commerce sales grew 60% in 2025, and the company is projecting $150 million in retail sales next year.
This year, URBN-owned Nuuly announced its first profitable year, at just six years old. And, as of the second quarter, the clothing rental company had surpassed 380,000 active subscribers, marking a 48% year-over-year increase. Kim Gallagher, its executive director of marketing and customer success, attributed this growth, in part, to word-of-mouth — which, she said, is “every marketer’s dream,” but also “doesn’t happen without strategy.”
The H&M Group brand Cos surged in the quarterly Lyst Index this fall, jumping 147% in search volume to become the third-hottest brand in the index. The remaining top five were luxury brands including Saint Laurent and Miu Miu.
Not yet two years old, Noyz has quickly become one of the year’s buzziest brands — living up to its name by making plenty of, yes, noise in 2025. CEO Malena Higuera’s focus on community and strategic product launches has fueled the fire.
According to Ginny Seymour, 2025 was the year Aligne hit its stride. “I couldn’t sleep in December last year; I just knew 2025 was going to be our year,” she said. Indeed, it was a defining period for the British fashion brand, with milestones like opening its first U.S. pop-up and entering a retail partnership with Nordstrom.
