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What Gen Z Wants From Luxury Brands

November 21, 2025

Luxury is no longer about dripping in diamonds, coating yourself in logos and whispering with sales associates in boutiques. 

Now it’s become a cultural conversation. And if there’s one group talking about it daily, it’s Gen Z. 

From TikTok taste-making to sustainability expectations, this generation has strong opinions on the future of high-end shopping. 

Below, we break down what Gen Z actually expects, according to a survey from our Youthtellers (ages 15–28). 

Why Understanding Gen Z Matters for Luxury

Gen Zers may be young, but they do have budgetary power. And luxury brands aren’t just competing for everyday consumers, but consumers for the future. This is causing heritage brands to shift their values and their marketing tactics because Gen Z’s standard for authenticity, social relevance and values is forcing brands that want to become Gen Z luxury brands to realize that future consumers don’t care so much about logos as they do alignment in their worldview. 

How Important Is A Brand’s Social Media Presence?

If luxury houses ever doubted whether being online mattered, our Youthtellers cleared that up fast. Over half told us that having a social media presence was ‘basically essential.’ 

What young consumers view online, whether it’s TikTok, Instagram or even Youtube, shapes the perception of modern luxury. And if a brand wants to become a Gen Z luxury brand, they need strong storytelling, help from creators that consumers trust and consistent visibility. The age of polished campaigns are dead. 

Are Luxury Brands Connecting With Gen Z?

If you want the honest answer: kind of. 50% of our Youthtellers said yes, and the other said no, giving us one of the few 50/50 splits we’ve ever seen in data points. The fragmentation shows one clear thing, Gen Z luxury brands need more direct communication with young consumers. The half that said there was no connection between luxury brands and Gen Z also told us that luxury now feels outdated or out of touch. 

That’s the first thing that needs to be shifted. 

What Gen Z Luxury Brands Should do in 2025/2026

The one thing that rang crystal clear from this survey were the expectations of young consumers. Gen Z luxury brands need to be transparent, have personality, cultural awareness and quality that live up to the price. Ad campaigns need to be real and relevant. Staying quiet on social issues will just lead to boycotting. Gen Z has expectations before they swipe their cards, and if you’re not meeting them then young people will head elsewhere. 

Gen Z luxury brands need to be worth the investment, both financially and culturally.

So… What Should Luxury Brands Do?

Based on the survey data, being boring is no longer an option. Here’s exactly what Gen Z luxury brands need to do to cash in on young consumers: 

  • Humanized social media (not just commercials clipped into reels)

  • True sustainability with specifics

  • More visibility into decision-making and values

  • Campaigns featuring creators and communities they trust

  • Quality that matches the price point

  • Authenticity over hype

  • Cultural relevance, not performative trend-jumping

  • And always: clear storytelling

Because at the end of the day, Gen Z luxury brands need to make luxury that feels earned, modern, and meaningful…not inaccessible or out of touch.