And how brands can stay relevant in the era of messy girls, soft power, and btrend.
There was a time when luxury screamed.
Logos were oversized. Campaigns were louder than life. Brands lived to shout “look at me.” But Gen Z? They’ve seen the flash. And they’re over it.
Welcome to 2025. Where luxury whispers and the internet is ruled by two coexisting forces: quiet luxury… and the messy girl era.
Yes, the same generation that makes memes about burnout, writes love letters in their Notes app, and wears vintage Margiela with yesterday’s mascara still smudged — is also leading the biggest shift in consumer behavior we’ve seen in decades.
Gen Z doesn’t want perfection.
They want intention.
They don’t want to be sold to.
They want to feel aligned.
And that’s changing how brands need to show up — across social, across storytelling, and especially across collaborations.
🤫 Quiet Luxury Is the New Status Symbol
Quiet luxury is more than an aesthetic.
It’s a signal. A code. A shift from “look at me” to “you just know.”
It’s what The Row, Bottega Veneta, and Loro Piana have mastered — soft silhouettes, timeless design, no logos. Just craftsmanship, confidence, and a quiet kind of flex.
And Gen Z is listening.
The data doesn’t lie:
- 74% of Gen Z say they prefer brands that feel “authentic” over those that feel “aspirational” (McKinsey, 2024)
- 61% have purchased a product after seeing it on a content creator, not a celebrity ad (HubSpot, 2024)
- 85% expect brands to align with their personal values, not just aesthetics (EY, 2023)
Quiet luxury isn’t just about minimalism.
It’s about meaning. It whispers:
“I don’t need to prove my worth. You can feel it.”
🌀 Enter: The Messy Girl Era
Let’s be clear: Gen Z isn’t chasing perfection — they’re reclaiming chaos.
Welcome to the messy girl era.
Where soft burnout is romanticized, chaos is branded, and elegance is paired with brutal honesty. Gen Z creators don’t just look good. They feel real.
They’re posting unfiltered mornings and political takes between skincare hauls. They want to be put together, but they also want to cry in the Uber.
This generation:
- Rejects hustle culture but obsesses over monetizing their passions
- Curates aesthetics but demands authenticity
- Buys from brands but only if they align with their values
It’s luxury meets liberation.
It’s vulnerability as influence.
And it’s totally rewriting the rules of marketing.
💡 What Smart Brands Are Doing in 2025
✅ Build creator relationships based on shared audiences,
✅ Embrace subtle storytelling and cultural fluency, not gimmicks
✅ Stop shouting and start matching with the voices that matter
Because Gen Z doesn’t want to watch your campaign.
They want to co-create it.
📲 Why btrend Is Built for This Exact Shift
It’s a tech platform engineered for real-time, value-based, creator-brand collaborations — made for Gen Z, by people who get Gen Z.
On btrend:
- Brands create campaigns and get matched with creators based on alignment, not hype
- Creators set their own rates, keep creative freedom, and deliver content that’s actually real
- From matching to campaign execution to payment — everything happens in-app
🔮 What’s Next?
In an overstimulated world, attention isn’t enough.
Gen Z rewards trust.
They’re immune to performance. But they’re loyal to truth.
So, if you’re a brand trying to reach this generation in 2025, align with creators who live your values.
It’s layered, intentional, emotional — and powered by btrend.
Your Creativity is Power ⚡ Match. Create. Monetize.
About btrend
btrend is an AI-powered platform that connects businesses and content creators directly — no middlemen.
It streamlines collaborations, boosts campaign impact, and empowers both sides to control their content, pricing, and partnerships.
btrend is made for a generation that wants to create, collaborate, and monetize freely.
📩 Press & investor inquiries
management@btrendapp.com
