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1. Personalisation Dominates Fashion & Beauty
Concept4 identified the shift toward meaningful, individualised style earlier this year—with some consumer groups moving away from fleeting micro-trends and toward personalised expression rooted in heritage, maximalism, gender fluidity, and longevity.
WGSN’s latest forecasts fully validate this direction, confirming personalisation and customisation as dominant forces across fashion and beauty for 2025 and 2026. Consumers are prioritising products that reflect their unique identity, values, and life stage, driving strong demand for modular, mix-and-match, and adaptive items.
Key evidence includes:
Booming customisation: Bag charms and modular accessories are surging, with searches for “bag charm” up +340% YoY and TikTok #Bagdecor videos +83% YoY. “Chaotic customisation” and #AddOnAccessories are creating micro-moments of joy and high social engagement.
Maximalism & layering: Layered jewellery, brooches, beaded bracelets, and “grandma-core” vintage-inspired looks are thriving, supported by heritage-driven and gender-fluid designs.
Beauty parallels: Customisable palettes, adaptive hybrid products, and multi-sensorial experiences are rising, with brands encouraged to close the “say-do” gap—particularly acute in sustainability, where consumers often express strong intentions to buy eco-friendly and ethical products yet frequently opt for more affordable or convenient alternatives in practice.
2. Sustainability and Conscious Choices Gain Momentum
Concept4's vision of "Protective Pro-Sumerism" – a mindset embracing self-sufficiency amid climate realities through ethical, sustainable consumption is also manifesting strongly in 2025 across beauty.
Sustainability, climate adaptation, and radical transparency are no longer optional; they are core drivers of innovation, loyalty, and growth through 2026. The industry is moving beyond surface-level claims to genuine accountability, with clean and circular attributes already outpacing overall category performance.
Key evidence includes:
Climate-adaptive & protective skincare: Products shielding against pollution, UV, blue light, extreme weather, higher temperatures, and humidity are surging. Formulations and packaging are being engineered for real-world environmental stress, with “protection” and resilience claims spanning categories.
Radical transparency: Blockchain, QR codes, and third-party audits are becoming standard for full supply-chain and ingredient traceability. Consumers and regulators now demand complete honesty on sourcing, impact, and claims.
Biotech innovation: Lab-grown, fermented, upcycled, and bio-designed actives (e.g., bioengineered collagen, carbon-captured ingredients) are scaling fast, supported by biodesign and biomimicry to reduce ecological footprint while boosting efficacy.
3. Grunge, Girlhood and Hardware Add Rebellious Flair
Concept4's "Dark Edges" theme captures youth-led rebellion against economic pressures, perfectionism, and cultural overload — with grunge revival, hyper-feminine grit, and studded hardware set to expand and evolve through 2026.
Consumers are embracing subversive, expressive aesthetics that offer authenticity and catharsis: raw grunge layers, punk hardware details, anti-elitist dupe culture, and anti-perfectionist beauty looks.
Key evidence includes:
Grunge revival & dark aesthetics: Designers like Chloé, Isabel Marant, Collina Strada, Coach, and Magliano brought polished grunge to Fall/Winter 2025 runways with oversized knits, distressed elements, and renegade rock vibes. TikTok hashtags like #90sGrunge and #GrungeAesthetic surged 70% YoY, blending nostalgia with "clean grunge" and upcycled pieces; WGSN forecasts "Extreme Grunge" gaining momentum into S/S 26 and A/W 26/27.
Studded hardware & punk influence: Spikes, chains, and metal details dominated accessories at brands like Valentino, Balmain, Luar, and JordanLuca, adding shock value to bags, footwear, and tailoring for a polished punk revival across S/S 25 and A/W 25/26 collections.
Dupe culture & anti-elitism: Walmart's revived "Wirkin" bag and beauty alternatives (e.g., MCoBeauty dupes for Charlotte Tilbury, E.l.f. for premium foundations) fueled #dupe's 6+ billion TikTok views, reflecting protest against luxury slowdowns—retailers like Amazon and Target amplified accessible, small-batch options into 2026.
Outworldly makeup & wellness fatigue: Holographic, chrome, and "alien" ethereal looks (inspired by runway experimentations at Alaïa and Luar) emerged as an escape from perfectionism. In contrast, “bad” makeup and relaxed routines countered beauty overload, signaling a shift toward radical individualism and the forecasted rise of “uglies” aesthetics for S/S 26.
4. Aspirational Heritage and Accessible Elegance Emerge
Concept4's "Culture Capital" theme highlights how heritage and cultural knowledge are becoming the new social currency in a democratising world — with quiet luxury, boho revivals, equestrian-Western hybrids, and country-club prep set to expand and evolve through 2026.
Consumers are gravitating toward timeless, versatile sophistication that blends tradition with modern ethics, sustainability, and multi-functionality; buying less but better to combat decision fatigue and signal understated aspiration.
Key evidence includes:
Quiet luxury & old money: #OldMoneyAesthetic continues to drive billions of views on TikTok, pushing demand for timeless, versatile pieces and “stealth wealth” styling.
Boho revival: “NuBoheme” and prairie influences led S/S 25 with poet dresses, rustic embroideries, and earthy palettes — a top investment area that remains strong into 2026 with layering, sheers, and vintage-inspired details.
Equestrian-Western hybrids: Celebrity and pop-culture influence is merging equestrian tailoring with Western boots and motifs, with modern craft and upcycling extending the trend through 2026.
Country-club prep: Tennis skirts, golf polos, and resort exclusivity are thriving, with #NotSoClassic Country Club views surging from 67 million to 528 million in recent years — forecasted to continue with inclusive, playful reinterpretations.
5. Streamlined Efficacy Defines Beauty Routines
Concept4 anticipated a shift toward simplified, targeted beauty regimens including skinimalism, multi-functional heroes, pro-aging and gentle formulations — which is set to accelerate and diversify through 2026.
Consumers are embracing efficient, results-driven routines that align with busy lifestyles and long-term skin health, moving away from complex multi-step regimens toward practical, high-efficacy solutions.
Key evidence includes:
Skinimalism & multifunctional heroes: With 63% of women globally opting for 3-product routines, skinimalism 2.0 and “flexi-smart” cleansers are driving demand for hybrid serums and tinted moisturizers. WGSN predicts this will expand into men’s and Gen Alpha markets with “beautilities” and “one-and-done” sticks for tactile efficiency.
Morning shed & night recovery: Sleep-enhancing product rituals have seen a 31% YoY rise in global searches, with TikTok buzz around nighttime recovery (sleep masks, heatless curls). WGSN forecasts growth in “bed-rotting” and “treat-while-you-laze” trends, including sleep tourism innovations.
Skinification & hybridization: Actives like hyaluronic acid are now in hair oils, lip treatments, and makeup hybrids, boosting holistic nourishment.
Pro-aging & age acknowledgment: Campaigns celebrating maturity and hydration-focused radiance are driving Gen X and Boomer growth, with “slow ageing” and “prejuvenation” lines from brands like 19/99 Beauty & Flyte.70 leading into 2026.
Gentle formulations for young skin: Teen and tween lines from CeraVe and Bubble continue booming, promoting preventive care with dermatologist-approved essentials. Indu Beauty fostered healthy habits through clean, teen-focused innovation, while Heyrini (co-founded by Shay Mitchell) launched playful hydrogel masks for ages 4+, sparking backlash over introducing beauty pressures too early despite its “fun self-care” positioning. WGSN highlights Gen Alpha as a long-term investment, emphasizing gentle, supportive routines without overcomplication.
6. Grounded Optimism Shapes FW25/26 to FW26/27 Palettes
Concept4’s narrative of emotionally responsive colour evolution; from slime greens to mossy depths, mocha browns warming to bronze, primrose pinks intensifying to vampy purples, butter yellows softening to corn milk, and metallics shifting toward vivid rose golds — is fully validated by WGSN’s latest forecasts, defining “Grounded Optimism” as the core palette direction for A/W 25/26 through A/W 26/27.
This palette blends grounding, familiar earth tones with energising brights and sophisticated warm metallics, meeting consumer needs for stability, hope, and emotional connection while elevating investment pieces and playful expression alike.
Key evidence includes:
Grounding browns & neutrals: Shades like Cocoa Powder, Ground Coffee, and Sepia are foundational for longevity and trans-seasonal appeal, dominating tailoring, outerwear, nails, and packaging. Pantone’s Mocha Mousse (a close match) has driven tonal suiting and latte-makeup trends.
Evolving greens: Olive Stone, mossy tones, and Green Glow bring renewal and sophistication to knitwear, coats, shimmering eye looks, and hair accents.
Deepened pinks & purples: Magenta, Fresh Purple, and Electric Fuchsia add depth and playfulness, especially in partywear, bold lips, and eyeshadows.
Soft yellows: Buttercream and Golden Hour shades provide optimistic accents in accessories, nails, and subtle beauty finishes.
Warm metallics: Bronze, rose gold, Golden Hour Shimmer, and Dusted Ochre Shimmer electrify hardware, beauty finishes, and Y2K-cyber-inspired details, shifting away from cool silvers for tactile, sensorial appeal.
Looking Ahead
With these trends now emerging in the market; supported by robust indicators from surging customisation searches to biotech advancements and earthy palette adoption — the competitive edge is clear: brands that commit to meaningful innovation, ethical accountability, and consumer-aligned depth will drive the next phase of growth.
Concept4’s Macro Trends for 2027 and Beyond Are Here!
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