What do Gen Z’s style sensibilities mean for established and upcoming brands?

As a generation that values individualism, affordability and mindfulness, we ask stylists and designers what it takes to cater to Gen Z

A quick scroll through Instagram and a barrage of new fashion labels catering specifically to Gen Z will populate your feed. Whether that barrage is replete with playful but statement-making jewellery or heavily distressed yet comfortable clothing is entirely up to the ever-changing algorithm. What remains constant, however, is a sharp focus on consciousness, affordability and individualism.

Take television series The White Lotus’ Gen-Z assistant Portia, for example: her mixed-and-matched loud prints and bucket hats have been viciously ridiculed and dissected by millennials across the globe. Actor Haley Lu Richardson however, revels in the clutter, even going so far as to confirm that she does, in fact, dress like her on-screen self, in real life. Yet another example would be Euphoria’s Jules. Actor Hunter Schafer’s character pioneered a still-prevailing aesthetic, rich in extravagance albeit impractical, with glitter, colour and shine running rampant. “Gen-Z style draws heavily from vintage fashion and maximalism,” says Ruhaanee Hiran, stylist and content creator. 

As more and more brands cater to this growing demographic, we attempt to understand how fashion labels cater to Gen Z’s aesthetic.

No rules to follow 

Prior to our conversation, Hiran quickly checked if she actually fits into the cohort identifying as Gen Z. (If you’re born between 1990 to 2010, you’re doing just fine!) “We don’t want to adopt just one particular style of clothing. We love to  choose from varied genres, -cores, and years,” she says.  

By disregarding the traditional rules of fashion and style, this new generation isn’t afraid to experiment. In fact, they love to. Hiran’s generation isn’t interested in fitting in and takes pride in standing out. This is reflective in their choice of brands —“affordable, trendy, and inclusive,” says Hiran. 

Gen Z is woke, mindful and aware. McKinsey’s collaborative research with Box1824 calls the legion “True Gen”, confirming that the generation is “hypercognitive.” This set of buyers values transparency and wants to be aware of the process of how products are crafted, promoted and sold. Buzzwords like ‘sustainable’ are under more scrutiny now than ever before, and for a brand to truly appeal to Gen Z, Hiran is of the opinion that a younger creative team—designers, marketers and merchandisers with similar mindsets and ideas as the target audience—might prove beneficial. Kanika Goyal of clothing label KGL and now Kilogram echoes a similar opinion, telling us how 80 per cent of her “new, youth-centric” label’s team is between 20 and 25 years of age. 

Driven by social media?

Surmai Jain, founder and creative director at Polite Society, says she’s “somewhere in the middle”—a maybe-millennial and a borderline Gen Z. “What Gen Z is currently adopting in terms of style, are phases I grew up seeing,” like  the ’90s silhouettes and early 2000s trends that are now in demand. Despite Gen Z’s denial of  factory-made, mass-appeal style, they are all wearing clothes millennials wore earlier, with slight adaptations. While “ Gen Z’s initial clutter-core aesthetic was a welcome break from plain old minimal monotony and perfectionist behaviour”, at the same time it is rather “short-lived and majorly Instagram-driven,” says Jain. Since “digital culture is shaping the youth”, it’s really important to rewire existing brand narratives to match modern-day mindsets, adds Goyal.

“What we really need to do is stop taking Instagram so seriously,” says Jay Jajal, founder and creative director of Jaywalking—a streetwear label favoured by many Gen Zers. Similarly, Dhruv Kapoor of his eponymous label says, “More than appealing to a specific audience, being authentic to your own vision is key.” 

Going beyond the garment

While discoverability remains a key factor if a label wants to make money, authenticity could help brands attract a Gen Z audience. “Everyone loves to think they’ve discovered the next big thing that’s not mass-driven or mainstream,” says Jain. She adds that products that are non-conformist and against the grain are favoured by the new generation of shoppers. “A need to look distinct and different is what this troop is all about,” says Jajal, who believes brand narrative actually sells the merchandise to a generation with styles as varied as Gen Z’s.  No matter who the buyer is, they’re looking for a narrative or a meaning behind the piece they’re purchasing—who made it, how, why, and more. For brands to appeal to Gen Z, their curated layers of perfection have to be shed, he adds. 

Jajal takes the example of Italian label Avavav’s Autumn-Winter 2023 collection ‘Fake it till you break it’, which explored the breaking of luxury fashion’s unwritten rules. In a bid to explain and highlight “the most embarrassing thing that could happen to a fashion label”, the brand’s creative director Beate Karsslon sought to have heels snap, trousers explode and visors fall off. An exaggerated commentary on the superficiality of fashion is both unserious and authentic. A similar approach may prove prudent for upcoming labels, with more and more consumers prioritising ‘realness’ as opposed to ‘excellence’.

Given Gen Z’s obsession with all things reductionist and simplistic, by stripping fashion of all its seriousness, Jajal says the answer lies in having fun with your style. For the discerning generation that found its voice via Reels and Tik-Tok, brands need to tweak existing strategies by being inclusive, authentic and open to embracing imperfection. For a brand to remain relevant and have its finger on the pulse, “all one needs to do is update references and absorb their surroundings to naturally instil the current state of affairs in their collections”, shares Kapoor. “Gen Z’s demands and sense of style can be fast-paced and hard to pin down for a designer but is still beautiful as a form of creativity and self-expression,” concludes Jain. 

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