Gen Z on the New Cool - Live from the NYC SenseMaker Panel
Six things we learnt about what cool means to young people
On Wednesday, Dazed Studio debuted our live SenseMaker panel format at Day 02 of our U.S. Brand Summit in NYC, bringing together six Gen Z creative tastemakers to debate what “cool” means today and what matters to them.
Group Strategy Director, Izzy Farmiloe, hosted the conversation, and was joined by Simone Ruth, Laiyonelth Hurtado, Yawen Yuan, Basem Tash, Yilin Ye and Gwendolyn Boykins.
01: Physical media is cool; digital addiction isn't
A key theme that surfaced amidst discussions of coolness was the resurgence of physical media.
Basem reflected on why he has found pleasure in using a now-antiquated piece of technology:
"I recently bought a refurbished iPod classic... I want to start having routine regarding my online consumption - say, on a Sunday, I leave my phone at home for an hour or two, I go to the park, and I only have this music... it's just me wanting to listen to music without having to use my phone."
- Basem Tash, Graphic Designer & Recent Parsons Grad
Yilin has found buying physical zines purposeful and inspiring:
"It's easier to carry. Also, on the reason why I wanted to buy it - it's not that I can't find this information online. It's because I wanted to support those who made these zines. They take a lot of creativity and work to create."
- Yilin Ye, Creative Technologist & Dancer
"I bought a book that I read on Kindle because it was so good that I cried. So I thought I should have it in hardcover, even though I probably won't read it again for a while, but I just thought it would be important to have with me."
- Yawen Yuan, Writer & Student at Columbia University
02: Nostalgia is (still) cool; hype isn't
We’ve all heard it - Gen Z is obsessed with nostalgia. It has shown up in cultural trends: the labubu craze, buying an iPhone 5C for the 2014 aesthetic, and y2k revival. But maybe it’s more about seeking solace in a simpler time?
Simone spoke on how nostalgia has inspired her professional endeavours:
"I'm constantly yearning for, I guess, the feeling of nostalgia, whether it's in the work that I create or the music that I produce - I'm always listening to old things. It is a testament to where I got started as a creative, because it’s where I'm very comfortable, where I run home to when it comes to just my work and like my output in the world."
- Simone Ruth, Founder of mission-driven music label Global Crisis
The whole emphasis on trends, labubus, just buying things that ultimately become fried to a point, and then we start to hate them, is so uncool."
- Gwendolyn Boykins, Founder of slow-fashion brand Nostylguh
03: Taking pride in your heritage is cool; cultural appropriation isn't
In our research for our big report, launching in the Fall, we’ve taken stock of the growing importance of the local and the regional in popular culture, and the increasing move towards non-Western cultural influence.
Laiyonelth brought a beautiful and meaningful addition to the discussion:
"For my “cool” item, I brought this bag. It is a traditional bag from Colombia called a carriel, and it used to be worn by countryside men to carry seeds and different things. It was really nice to reconnect with a part of my heritage… People have more of a sense of appreciation for heritage and culture and tradition; I think that's the coolest thing for me - preserving those ideas of the value that there is in heritage altogether."
- Laiyonelth Hurtado, Artist & Activist
But what was uncool? Cultural appropriation.
"When brands or designers culturally appropriate, glamorising cultural tidbits without recognising where they come from and giving them proper credit."
- Basem Tash
Fady Nageeb
04: Advocating for something you believe in is cool; staying silent isn't
Izzy asked the panel who they believed were culturally relevant, and political activism surfaced as a unanimous thought within the group:
"I'm thinking of Bad Bunny, who everyone loves right now, and Willie Chavarria - how he's been using his passion and his platform to truly advocate for the immigrant community here in the States and also to send messages of dignity and social justice altogether."
- Laiyonelth Hurtado
"When you have that power, when you have that resource, how about using that platform to show what you really care about?"
- Yilin Ye
05: Embedding sustainability into your brand is cool, overconsumption isn't
Gwendolyn shared her biggest "uncool" - overconsumption; but our panelists had found several sustainable brands that they feel comfortable purchasing from.
"My biggest uncool is overconsumption. When you are intentional with your purchases, you stay with them longer."
- Gwendolyn Boykins
"Santos By Mónica is very big on sustainability and building community here in New York. And they really show how sustainable fashion can be both luxurious and fun and cool."
- Laiyonelth Hurtado
06: It's cool to care and foster community
"I find Komune (LES) so cool. I think they seem like they care. They had a market for designers to sell, and they didn't charge them, and everyone just sold their clothes and mingled with each other. It was all good vibes, free drinks... It's not something that's fake where they're trying to harvest customers. It's just getting to know each other."
- Gwendolyn Boykins
"Topicals, a skincare brand, is very good at really showing that diversity is not a token, it's not something performative. I think there are a lot of brands that try to market to people according to what's trendy - we're seeing it right now with the rollbacks of diversity and inclusion. I think that is so uncool, because it shows you how much brands don't care. And for me, there's nothing cooler than caring."
- Laiyonelth Hurtado
Thank you to all our amazing participants and attendees at this week’s U.S. Brand Summit - it was great to see so many of you there!
If you are interested in using our Dazed Studio SenseMaker product for your brand research, email izzy.farmiloe@dazedmedia.com.
