Introduction: A Revolution in Real Time
Fashion and beauty used to flow top-down. Runways dictated trends. Magazines defined beauty. Celebrities set the tone. But Gen Z—the first generation raised entirely in the digital age—is flipping that script.
Born between the mid-1990s and early 2010s, Gen Z is more diverse, more fluid, and more digitally savvy than any generation before it. And their influence on fashion and beauty is as radical as it is refreshing. From genderless fashion to skincare over makeup, from rejecting airbrushing to thrifting over luxury, Gen Z is not just following trends—they’re creating them.
This is not a rebellion for rebellion’s sake. It’s a values-driven, identity-affirming, system-disrupting fashion revolution, and the ripple effects are being felt across the global industry.
The Values Behind the Aesthetic
At the core of Gen Z’s fashion and beauty ethos is a bold rejection of outdated norms. Where previous generations often sought to conform, Gen Z expresses identity, politics, and ethics through what they wear and how they present themselves.
1. Authenticity Over Perfection
Gen Z is allergic to airbrushed perfection. Raised on Instagram filters but burned by comparison culture, they’ve turned to platforms like TikTok and BeReal to show the “real” behind the curated. Beauty, for this generation, isn’t about flawlessness; it’s about flaws that tell stories.
Makeup brands like Glossier, Rare Beauty, and Fenty Skin have thrived not because they promise transformation, but because they embrace skin texture, acne, and self-expression. The new beauty standard? There isn’t one.
2. Inclusivity as a Baseline
Gen Z demands racial, body, gender, and ability diversity not as a marketing add-on but as a requirement. Campaigns without authentic representation are called out instantly and often go viral for all the wrong reasons.
Brands like Savage X Fenty, SKIMS, and Good American have resonated by centering inclusivity from the start. This generation doesn’t just want to see themselves reflected; they want to know who’s behind the camera, in the boardroom, and on the design team.
3. Sustainability Over Fast Fashion
According to a 2023 McKinsey report, 75% of Gen Z shoppers say sustainability is more important than brand names. This value shift has fueled the rise of thrifting, upcycling, clothing swaps, and re-commerce platforms like Depop, Poshmark, and Vinted.
While Millennials embraced fast fashion giants like H&M and Zara, Gen Z is more likely to buy secondhand, invest in long-lasting basics, or rent clothes altogether. For them, ethical fashion isn’t a niche—it’s a necessity.
Genderless, Ageless, Borderless: Gen Z’s Fluid Fashion
One of the most disruptive aspects of Gen Z’s style is its fluidity across gender, age, culture, and aesthetic categories.
1. Gender Is No Longer a Design Constraint
Gone are the days when clothing racks were strictly divided into “men’s” and “women’s.” For Gen Z, gender is a spectrum, and so is fashion.
Designers like Harris Reed, Telfar Clemens, and Ludovic de Saint Sernin are leading the charge with gender-fluid collections that reject binary categories. Meanwhile, mainstream retailers like Zara and ASOS have introduced unisex lines to cater to Gen Z’s evolving preferences.
On TikTok, fashion challenges like #FemBoyFashion and #TheyThemStyle celebrate self-expression over stereotypes. For this generation, fashion is a tool to explore identity, not restrict it.
2. Ageless Aesthetics: Y2K Meets Cottagecore
Gen Z’s fashion influences are both nostalgic and novel. They raid the early 2000s for low-rise jeans and butterfly clips (hello, Y2K), but also embrace aesthetics like cottagecore, goblincore, and balletcore, which celebrate romanticism, nature, and softness.
These aren’t just trends—they’re lifestyle microcultures, often driven by queer, BIPOC, or neurodiverse creators reclaiming space through fashion. The effect? A vibrant, unpredictable, and deeply personal style landscape.
3. Global Style with Local Roots
Gen Z is also hyperconnected globally, using platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Xiaohongshu to draw inspiration from Seoul, Lagos, Mumbai, and beyond. But unlike earlier generations, they’re also mindful of cultural appropriation vs. appreciation, seeking to uplift creators and designers from the communities they borrow from.
The rise of “glocal” fashion, global in reach but locally rooted, is reshaping what trendsetting looks like in 2025.
Beauty Beyond the Binary
Beauty standards are changing just as rapidly, and Gen Z is pushing the boundaries of what “beautiful” means.
1. Skin First, Makeup Second
Instead of heavy contouring and caked foundation, Gen Z prioritizes skincare rituals, glowy serums, and SPF. K-beauty, clean beauty, and barrier repair routines have overtaken YouTube tutorials for full glam.
This is reflected in the rise of brands like The Ordinary, Cerave, and Glow Recipe, whose success lies in accessibility, transparency, and TikTok-friendly routines.
2. Makeup as Play, Not Perfection
When Gen Z does wear makeup, it’s often bold, experimental, or absurdist. Think neon eyeliner, mismatched eyeshadow, face gems, and DIY nail art. Inspired by creators like @uglyworldwide and @rowisingh, beauty becomes a form of protest, parody, and play.
It’s not about hiding flaws; it’s about highlighting mood, aesthetic, or subculture.
3. Deconstructing the Beauty Machine
Gen Z is also hyper-aware of beauty capitalism and the pressures it creates, especially for women and marginalized genders.
Movements like #NoFilter, #AcnePositivity, and #BodyHairIsNormal challenge the multibillion-dollar industry that profits from insecurity. Apps like BeReal and creators who go live without makeup are part of a broader push to reclaim visual honesty.
Social Media: Gen Z’s Style Laboratory
Social media is not just a mirror; it’s the laboratory where Gen Z tests, remixes, and spreads new ideas about beauty and fashion.
1. TikTok: The Trend Engine
Fashion on TikTok moves at lightning speed. In one week, users can launch a new aesthetic (#CleanGirl, #Blokecore, #WeirdGirl), critique it, remix it, and move on.
Unlike previous trend cycles driven by elite tastemakers, TikTok trends often come from queer teens, neurodivergent creators, and users from the Global South. The result is a democratized and decentralized fashion landscape.
2. Instagram vs. BeReal: Curated vs. Raw
While Instagram remains a visual staple, it’s increasingly seen as a curated highlight reel. Gen Z is shifting toward platforms like BeReal, TikTok Stories, and even Discord servers, where they can express themselves with less pressure.
The rise of “casual posting” and blurry carousels signals a rebellion against the influencer-era perfectionism that dominated the 2010s.
3. Influencers Redefined
For Gen Z, influence isn’t about follower count, it’s about authenticity, activism, and niche connection.
Creators like Wisdm8 (genderless style), Nava Rose (DIY fashion), and Ziwe (satirical beauty critique) have loyal followings not because they’re flawless, but because they’re fearlessly themselves.
The Industry’s Response: Catching Up or Cashing In?
Fashion and beauty industries are trying to keep up, but not always successfully.
1. Brand Collaborations with Creators
Major labels are collaborating with TikTok creators, Discord communities, and micro-influencers to stay relevant. Examples include:
- Levi’s x Emma Chamberlain
- UGG x Telfar
- MAC Cosmetics x Stranger Things cast
These partnerships aren’t just about reach, they’re about borrowing Gen Z’s cultural credibility.
2. Slow Steps Toward Sustainable Practice
Brands are under pressure to back up sustainability claims with transparency, not greenwashing. Some are rising to the challenge—like Reformation, PANGAIA, and Girlfriend Collective—while others face backlash for performative moves.
Gen Z is quick to research, expose, and boycott companies that don’t walk the talk.
3. More Diverse Runways, But Not Enough Power Shifts
While runway shows and ad campaigns are more diverse than ever, Gen Z critics point out that true equity requires systemic change, not just diverse faces, but diverse decision-makers.
Until fashion boards and C-suites reflect the same range as their campaigns, trust will remain shaky.
Fashion As Resistance, Beauty As Agency
More than trends or hashtags, Gen Z’s fashion revolution is about reclaiming personal and political agency.
Whether it’s trans teens using makeup to explore gender, Muslim girls styling hijabs with pride, or plus-size creators demanding representation, this generation is using fashion as a tool for liberation, not limitation.
In an era of digital surveillance, climate collapse, and rising authoritarianism, style becomes a site of resistance; a way to demand visibility, express dissent, and build community.
Final Thoughts: What the Future Looks Like
Gen Z isn’t waiting for the fashion and beauty industry to catch up. They’re building their own ecosystems, supporting indie designers, creating virtual closets, forming Discord collectives, and monetizing their own aesthetics on Patreon and TikTok Shop.
In their world, beauty isn’t about conformity; it’s about context. Fashion isn’t about trend cycles—it’s about storytelling.
As the industry takes notes, one thing is clear: the future of style is co-created, value-driven, and radically inclusive.
References
McKinsey & Co. – The State of Fashion 2023: Technology Edition
https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/retail/our-insights/the-state-of-fashion-2023
Pew Research – On the Internet, Gen Z Redefines Beauty Standards
https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2023/beauty-and-gen-z
Business of Fashion – Gen Z and the Future of Fashion
https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/news-bites/gen-z-fashion
Vice – Inside the Cottagecore Aesthetic
https://www.vice.com/en/article/qjdp83/cottagecore-fashion-gen-z
Vox – Why Gen Z Hates Fast Fashion
https://www.vox.com/the-goods/fast-fashion-gen-z-depop-thrift
Refinery29 – Gen Z’s Relationship to Makeup is Deeper Than You Think
https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/gen-z-makeup-skincare-trends
Olivia Santoro is a writer and communications creative focused on media, digital culture, and social impact, particularly where communication intersects with society. She’s passionate about exploring how technology, storytelling, and social platforms shape public perception and drive meaningful change. Olivia also writes on sustainability in fashion, emerging trends in entertainment, and stories that reflect Gen Z voices in today’s fast-changing world.
Connect with her here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olivia-santoro-1b1b02255/
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