Skip to main content
BoF Logo

The Business of Fashion

Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.

The BoF Podcast: Understanding Gen-Z

The fluidity and self-starting philosophy of Generation Z is seen as troubling by many in fashion and media. But Molly Logan and her panel of accomplished Gen-Z creatives discuss what it really means for brands to work with Generation Next.
Left to right: Molly Logan, Elise By Olsen, Kai-Isaiah Jamal, Lula Ososki, Liv Little and Nicolaia Rips | Source: Getty Images for The Business of Fashion
The author has shared a Podcast.You will need to accept and consent to the use of cookies and similar technologies by our third-party partners (including: YouTube, Instagram or Twitter), in order to view embedded content in this article and others you may visit in future.

To subscribe to the BoF Podcast, please follow this link.

Subscribe to BoF Professional for unlimited access to BoF articles, plus exclusive benefits for members. For a limited time, enjoy 25 percent discount on the first year of an annual membership, exclusively for podcast listeners. Simply, click here: http://bit.ly/2KoRRBH, select the Annual Package and use code PODCAST2019 at the checkout.

OXFORDSHIRE, United Kingdom — For creative consultant Molly Logan, bringing in actual members of Gen-Z when she was trying to cater to the demographic was the "best decision" she ever made. Now, she is the co-founder of Irregular Labs, a Gen-Z-run think tank and creative studio that advises clients on how to best represent — and appeal to — the values of this demographic.

"I always say the same thing [to clients]: there are three things that are going to happen, and you're going to have a choice in... how to navigate that," says Logan. One is the scenario that Gen-Zs passively participate in established institutional systems — be it politics, business or media. Another is that Gen-Zs come along and tear down elements of the system they don't like, then ask members of the old guard to rebuild it with them. The other, far less desirable outcome for older generations and brands is that Gen-Zs completely bypass existing institutions in favour of building their own.

ADVERTISEMENT

But Logan, who herself is not Gen-Z, doesn’t need to speak on the behalf of such a vocal generation. Sitting alongside her at BoF VOICES are a diverse, creative bunch of young people, with no one confined to a single profession or project. Elise By Olsen is a publisher, editor and curator, most recently founding Wallet, a fashion criticism publication. Lula Ososki is a writer, creative director and consultant. Kai-Isaiah Jamal is a spoken-word poet, activist and model. Nicolaia Rips is an author and playwright, with her debut book “Trying to Float” scooping an ILA Children’s and Young Adults’ Book Award. Liv Little — the oldest at 25 — is a curator, audio producer, filmmaker and editor-in-chief of Gal-Dem, a media brand run exclusively by women of colour.

The commonalities linking all five panellists lie in their resolve to act on their discontent with the status quo, often by plugging gaps in the media industry where, as By Olsen notes, there was “a lack of youth-driven projects” and unheard voices had yet to be given a platform.

While this may (and should) be a cause for concern for established fashion brands, Gen-Zs are largely open to working with anyone willing to listen and establish a dialogue in seeking collaboration, beyond simply ticking boxes in the name of tokenistic diversity.

To contact The Business of Fashion with comments, questions, or speaker ideas please e-mail podcast@businessoffashion.com.

© 2024 The Business of Fashion. All rights reserved. For more information read our Terms & Conditions

More from Media
How fashion media is adapting its approach to content, platforms and business models.

BoF is One of the World’s Most Innovative Companies of 2024

Fast Company has named The Business of Fashion one of the ‘world’s most innovative companies’ for a second time for demonstrating ‘how a media brand can leverage AI to add reader value rather than erode trust with AI-written news articles.’


Is the TikTok Fashion Boom Already Over?

The ByteDance-owned app has big ambitions to be an e-commerce player in league with Amazon with influence in fashion on par with Instagram. Now it’s facing new threats — both from outside and within.


view more

Subscribe to the BoF Daily Digest

The essential daily round-up of fashion news, analysis, and breaking news alerts.

The Business of Fashion

Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
CONNECT WITH US ON
BoF Professional - How to Turn Data Into Meaningful Customer Connections
© 2024 The Business of Fashion. All rights reserved. For more information read our Terms & Conditions, Privacy Policy, Cookie Policy and Accessibility Statement.
BoF Professional - How to Turn Data Into Meaningful Customer Connections