1stDibs, a premier online marketplace for extraordinary design, has recently unveiled its 2024 Luxury E-Commerce Report, offering insightful data about the evolving preferences of its consumer base. The report, based on 2024 data and analytics from the platform, covers a range of luxury verticals including art, furniture and lighting, jewelry, fashion, and handbags. As the demand for iconic designers, renowned artists, and timeless design continues to rise, 1stDibs has adjusted its inventory to meet the growing market needs while refining how these trends are tracked and analyzed.
Key Findings:
The report highlights some interesting trends and milestones in various luxury sectors:
- Furniture: Mid-century Modern furniture surged by 18 positions year-over-year as a key search term.
- Chair Design: The Togo chair by Michel Ducaroy climbed an impressive 62 positions in chair-related searches.
- Lighting: The top sale in lighting was a Taito Brass Ceiling Light by Paavo Tynell from the 1950s, priced at $242,922.
- Fashion: John Galliano’s iconic newsprint dress for Christian Dior, famously featured in Sex and The City, became one of the most viewed fashion listings on 1stDibs, with over 200,000 views.
- Jewelry: The most expensive jewelry sale of the year was a 7-carat cushion-cut diamond ring priced at $1 million.
- Handbags: Orders for Bottega Veneta handbags grew by 76% year-over-year, while orders for Hermès handbags grew by 57%.
These findings highlight how 1stDibs remains an essential platform for collectors and design enthusiasts looking for exceptional pieces across multiple luxury categories. Below are some of the key highlights and trends for each vertical:
Furniture & Lighting
The Furniture and Lighting categories were largely driven by a preference for early-to-mid-20th-century designs. Modern pieces from the Art Deco and mid-century modern periods saw the most interest. Designers such as Charles and Ray Eames, Gio Ponti, and George Nakashima were particularly popular among 1stDibs shoppers. Notably, the Art Deco style rose 10 positions year-over-year as a search term for chairs, ranking 13th overall in furniture searches. This surge in interest indicates that today’s consumers are seeking furniture and art pieces that not only add a distinct visual element to their space but also carry compelling backstories.
The rise of the Art Deco period reflects current tastes for furniture and art that exude glamour, luxury, and exuberance, capturing the elegance and craftsmanship of the early 20th century.
Art
In the art sector, blue-chip artists such as Salvador Dalí and Pablo Picasso continue to dominate, with their works commanding high prices and solidifying their positions as solid investments. Although contemporary and modern art still hold top positions in sales, Impressionist art has seen a resurgence. The popularity of Impressionism rose two positions to rank as the third most sold art category on 1stDibs in 2024.
As noted by Anthony Brazilay Freund, Editorial Director at 1stDibs, “Until just a decade or so ago, Impressionist works by the movement’s masters were considered the bluest of blue-chip art.” Now, collectors are returning to these iconic masterpieces, entranced by the brilliance and exuberance that characterize the works of painters like Monet, Renoir, and Degas. The renewed interest in Impressionism highlights how evolving market dynamics and a growing appetite for historical art movements are reshaping the art landscape.
Fashion & Handbags
In the realm of fashion, 1stDibs has become a destination for rare, highly coveted pieces, particularly vintage designs from the top fashion houses of the 1990s and 2000s. One standout sale in 2024 was the 1997 fur Chubby by Tom Ford for Gucci, which was the platform’s top fashion sale. Additionally, John Galliano’s iconic newsprint dress for Christian Dior, originally worn by Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and The City, remains the most-viewed fashion listing on 1stDibs, with over 200,000 views.
Handbag sales also continued to experience strong growth. Orders for Bottega Veneta handbags increased by 76% year-over-year, especially for styles associated with former creative director Matthieu Blazy. Additionally, Hermès continued to outperform other luxury handbag brands, with orders growing by 57%. Burgundy, a color often associated with fashion’s Unexpected Red Theory, which suggests that adding red accents enhances aesthetic appeal, also dominated Fall/Winter 2024 collections. Orders for red handbags increased by 75% year-over-year, showcasing the ongoing influence of this color trend in fashion.
Watches & Jewelry
In jewelry, heritage brands such as Tiffany & Co., Cartier, and Van Cleef & Arpels maintained their dominant positions in terms of sales. Tiffany & Co. ranked first, with orders growing by 41%, while Elsa Peretti’s creations for the brand shot up eight positions in popularity. Among gemstones, opals experienced a noteworthy surge, with orders increasing by 32% year-over-year. The iridescent quality of opals captivated consumers, and the stone was ranked among the top five most popular choices for 2024.
In watches, luxury brands known for their impeccable craftsmanship, such as Rolex, continued to reign supreme. Rolex stood out, accounting for three of the top five most popular watch styles, reinforcing the brand’s reputation for timeless, classic design with a modern appeal. Consumers continue to turn to these legacy brands for watches that combine high-quality materials, enduring design, and strong investment value.
Read more: 1stDibs Unveils 2024 Luxury E-commerce Report
