GEN Z AND THE FUTURE OF FASHION

Gen Z reacts strongly to how brands respond to relevant social conversations, both positively to authentic brand activism and negatively to tokenism and performative acts. Also, this generation’s fashion purchases are infl uenced by the commitments brands make to social and environmental sustainability, says ‘Futureproof’, a Depop and Bain & Company collaborative report on Gen Z behaviours and aspirations…

‘Futureproof’ presents an in-depth investigation of how Gen Z is re-imagining newness in fashion to fit its needs and its values.

Gen Z embraces a nuanced relationship with social media that acknowledges the positives and the negatives of platforms. Our interviewees shared their appreciation for the enhanced global exposure and connectivity that comes with social media. However they also recognise the wider negative impacts on society — from data privacy issues and the influence of algorithms to compromised mental wellbeing arising from filtered digital realities, constant comparison and online abuse,” say the report’s authors Federica Levato, Bain & Company partner and head of Bain’s Fashion and Luxury vertical(EMEA), and Fabio Colacchio, partner, Bain & Company’s Fashion and Luxury vertical.

Gen Z personas on social media tend to stand out, compared to their millennial counterparts, for being more authentic and spontaneous - and less filtered and curated. Similarly, Gen Z fashion is distinctively experimental and hybrid. Its members gravitate towards highlow fashion collaborations mixing vintage and streetwear. While they still look to (fashion) brands for trends and inspiration, they choose how to style themselves, the report states.

Although interest in sustainable fashion has grown across generations, Gen Z’s concern for the environment has fuelled media coverage, consumer pressure and budding corporate change in the fashion industry (including sustainability initiatives, sustainability-linked bonds, certification and insurgent business models), Levato says.