Dupes – skin and beauty products that perform near-identically to brand name mainstays and holy grails – are on the rise. Blogs and TikTokers help savvy consumers to get the effect they want without breaking the bank, meaning that brand names might struggle to maintain loyalty and keep up.

Reddit’s r/RepLadies community is challenging the cultural cachet attached to authentic luxury goods by discussing and trading counterfeit bags and clothes. They’re not doing so out of necessity or frugality, but rather because of a sense of alienation from high-end labels.

As a visual-first generation, people in their late teens and early twenties are developing new layers of visual culture to build community, express their individualism, and push back against the status quo. How is the fashion sector embracing post-ironic and meta-ironic behaviours for Gen Z?

Amid the cost of living crisis, some Gen Zers are turning to resale platforms to get their hands on iconic luxury brands, while others are turning to dupes. This indicates a yearning to be a part of the luxury community at an affordable price, avoiding fast fashion trends in the process.

A growing number of Americans are self-identifying as ‘bargain hunters’, signaling changing attitudes towards shopping and thriftiness. People are no longer afraid to be called cheap against the background of record inflation rates, and many actively enjoy looking for ways to save money.

Offering the ‘world’s first ingredient-based product discovery algorithm’, Skinskool is a website that finds affordable alternatives to expensive skincare. As beauty buyers increasingly turn to tech to address specific needs, this approach enables them to get the right products at the right price.

Amid the rising cost of living, Aldi’s fragrance dupes are getting a lot of attention for mimicking popular designer fragrances. With luxury aspirations competing with money concerns, these dupes are perfect for giving people that indulgent feeling without breaking the bank.

The luxury market is one of the few sectors that remains unaffected during a recession. While some statistics suggest that stock prices in luxury companies fall across the board, others show rising sales figures in times of financial downturn. Unlike so many other sectors, is luxury recession-proof?

With cost of living pressures ramping up, will consumer spending necessarily decline? Inflation anxiety could actually drive up spending as people preempt perceived price increases in the future. Canvas8 spoke to behavioural economist Meg Elkins to unpack the phenomenon of inflationary psychology.

Brand loyalty as we know it is declining among Gen Z audiences as they renegotiate the terms of the business-customer relationship. While this generation has the capacity for some of the deepest bonds, brands will need to meet them where they are with a new set of priorities.

For decades, America has played a prominent role in dictating global fashion trends. However, with the changing perception of the US on the world stage, and the increased decentralization of fashion following the global pandemic, many consumers are now buying locally-sourced brands.

Toeing the line between hype-fatigue and drop culture, art collective and creative agency MSCHF is tapping Gen Zers with whimsical offerings – and appealing to their fauxstalgia via SMS-based notifications. With limited stock and quirky comms, the brand is winning fans who value authenticity.