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For my initial ideas, I concluded that I definitely wanted to write about the London based streetwear brand 'Corteiz' and something to do with it's impact on the streetwear community.

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Generation Z refers to the generation born between 1997-2012, following millennials.

Gen Z will soon become the largest cohort of consumers-and brands who want a piece of this opportunity will need to understand their tendencies and digital expectations.

Do you work in the Ecommerce and Retail industry? Get business insights on the latest tech innovations, market trends, and your competitors with data-driven research.

Generation Z (aka Gen Z, iGen, or centennials), refers to the generation that was born between 1997-2012, following millennials. This generation has been raised on the internet and social media, with some of the oldest finishing college by 2020 and entering the workforce.

Insider Intelligence has been tracking Gen Z's characteristics, traits, values, and trends to develop in-depth statistics, facts, and marketing strategies targeting what will soon become the largest cohort of consumers.

Featured Gen Z Articles

Gen Z Terms and Definitions

What is Generation Z (Gen Z)?

Generation Z, is the youngest, most ethnically-diverse, and largest generation in American history, comprising 27% of the US population. Pew Research recently defined Gen Z as anyone born 1997 onwards. Gen Z grew up with technology, the internet, and social media, which sometimes causes them to be stereotyped as tech-addicted, anti-social, or "social justice warriors."

What are Millennials (Gen Y)?

Millennials, also known as Generation Y, include anyone born between 1981 and 1996 (ages 26 to 41 in 2022) and represent about a quarter of the US population. Much of this cohort entered the workforce at the height of the Great Recession, and have struggled with the subsequent widening of the generational wealth gap.

Millennials have led older generations in technology adoption and embracing digital solutions. Their financial status and tech-savviness have fundamentally changed how they live and work-earning them stereotypes that they job hop and have killed a number of industries. Prior to Gen Z, millennials were the largest and most racially and ethnically diverse generation.
Like what you're reading? Click here to learn more about Insider Intelligence's leading Ecommerce and Retail research.
What is Generation X (Gen X)?

Generation X, also known as Gen X, the latchkey generation or, jokingly, the forgotten or middle child generation, consists of people born between 1965 and 1980 (ages 42-57 in 2022). Currently, Gen X comprises 20.6% of the US population, making them smaller than any other age demographic.

This cohort grew up with higher divorce rates and more two-income households, resulting in a general lack of an adult presence in their childhoods and teenage years. As such, Gen X is generally viewed as peer-oriented and entrepreneurial in spirit.

What is Generation Alpha?

Gen Alpha, which includes children born after 2010, is already set to be the most transformative generation yet. Alphas haven't just grown up with technology-they've been completely immersed in it since birth. Early in their formative years, these children are comfortable speaking to voice assistants and swiping on smartphones. They don't consider technologies to be tools used to help achieve tasks, but rather as deeply integrated parts of everyday life.

FAQs About Gen Z

What are the Generation Z birth years & age range?

Generation Z is broadly defined as the 72 million people born between 1997 and 2012.

Generation Z vs. Millennials (Gen Y)

Gen Z most closely mirrors millennials on key social and political issues, but without much of the optimism; More US Gen Zers than any other generation (68%) feel the US is headed in the wrong direction, and fewer Gen Zers than any other generation (32%) feel the country is headed in the right direction.

Is Generation Z conservative?

Generation Z considers itself more accepting and open-minded than any generation before it. Almost half of Gen Zs are minorities, compared to 22% of Baby Boomers, and the majority of Gen Z supports social movements such as Black Lives Matter, transgender rights, and climate change.

What are common names for Generation Z?

Generation Z, or Gen Z, is also sometimes referred to as iGen, or Centennials.

What is after Generation Z?

The generation that follows Gen Z is Generation Alpha, which includes anyone born after 2010. Gen Alpha is still very young, but is on track to be the most transformative age group ever.

What are the common Generation Z characteristics?

The average Gen Z got their first smartphone just before their 12th birthday. They communicate primarily through social media and texts, and spend as much time on their phones as older generations do watching television.

The majority of Gen Zs prefer streaming services to traditional cable, as well as getting snackable content they can get on their phones and computers.

In terms of US population by generation, Gen Z is the most ethnically diverse and largest generation in American history, and eclipses all other generations before it in embracing diversity and inclusion.

More to Learn

Generation Z will soon become the most pivotal generation to the future of retail, and many will have huge spending power by 2026. To capture a piece of this growing cohort, retailers and brands need to start establishing relationships with Gen Zers now.

But Gen Zers are different from older generations, because they are the first consumers to have grown up wholly in the digital era. They're tech-savvy and mobile-first-and they have high standards for how they spend their time online.

After ignoring the digital revolution and millennial buyers for too long, retailers and brands have spent the last decade trying to catch up to millennials' interests and habits-so it's critical for them to get ahead of Gen Z's tendency to be online at all times, and make sure to meet this generation's digital expectations.

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Generation Z News: Latest characteristics, research, and facts

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Generation Z refers to the generation that was born between 1997-2012, following millennials. Learn more about the generation raised on the internet & social media.

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I brainstormed ideas and they key words that came up were gen Z, identity and London. This made me realize there is a link between Corteiz, Gen Z and Identity which will be the 3 main themes of my dissertation.

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I read this academic text over the first few weeks

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tutorials, I recieved feeback for my initial ideas and. my feedback included looking into subcultures and tribes, as well as the idea of exploring what an individuality complex is

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I learnt what an individuality complex really is and how I can relate it to Gen Z, in the context of being Corteiz customers, This began to form a large part of my diss

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Individuality complex does not exist. It is unimportant primarily because a complex in psychology would imply some sort of oddity. Individuality requires more than just individuality itself to be a complex.

"Individuality complex" is characterized by an excessive or obsessive craving for individuality and independence. Extreme perfectionism, a problem with people in authority, high standards, or social isolation are a few ways this can show up.

According to some schools of thought, an individual with an identity complex constantly tries to escape fitting in, to the point where they may do extreme or risky actions merely to be unique and stand out.

Individuality: What Is It?

An individual is any person or organism that exists as a unique entity. The quality of being an individual is to be different from others, possessing one's own needs or goals, rights, and duties.

Individuality is the combination of traits that distinguishes one individual from another. In biological terms, individuality can also include a person's genetic makeup.

Theories Of Individuality

Many individuals perceived individualism as a method to stir up problems and a failure to treat others civilly. Numerous advocates of individuality were viewed as thugs, troublemakers, and criminals. David Thoreau himself spent time in jail for defying the law to promote his ideology.

However, individuality's real goal is to encourage people to make their own decisions in favor of peace and harmony rather than to cause strife. In Ralph Waldo Emerson's words, conformity "is the death of individualism."

Ayn Rand, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, John Locke, and Soren Kierkegaard are just a few of the philosophers whose knowledge of individuality is crucial to today's western culture. In the decades and centuries that followed, they all elaborated and discussed one another's ideas of the enlightenment.

The reality is that there are many beliefs about individuality and the individual from diverse cultures and historical times. The three most significant theories are Objectivism, Buddhism, and Empiricism.

Individuality vs. Individualism

Here is the distinction between individualism and individuality:

1. Individualism is a political philosophy or ideology that promotes individual liberty and the idea that a person's uniqueness is significant or desired.

2. A person's uniqueness comprises all the characteristics that set them apart from others.

Furthermore, these include things like their aspirations, objectives, rights, and beliefs.

While all people have a certain degree of uniqueness, not all people live in a culture or society that values individualism. The best approach to think about the distinction between the two.

Loss of Individuality and Coping Mechanisms

Losing your individuality might be very difficult to process. So, how does this happen, where does it come from, and how do you regain consciousness of your individuality? The answers to all three questions appear to be trickier than usual.

It may be challenging to operate in society if there is an actual or apparent loss of individuality, which some refer to as an individuality complex. Once a person loses the belief that their uniqueness is valuable, all kinds of things might happen. Some of the signs may include:

Low motivation to achieve their potential

A low self-esteem

Having few short- and long-term objectives or goals or losing the motivation to pursue them

It can be all too easy to feel like a mere cog in a big machine that doesn't truly pay attention to your own needs and desires in today's fast-paced, bombarded world.

Individuality Complex - Conclusion

Individuality is harder to accept when you're not allowed to accept yourself. By examining social barriers, we can see that there's conflict just by being a particular type of person. For example, extroverts and introverts can be friends, and many people are. Still, some barriers only let them maintain their friendship for a limited amount of time before they become aware of pressures on a more intimate level.

However, it may be difficult to determine when you've given in to the norm and others around you when you don't always strive to grow or step outside of your comfort zone since we don't keep track of these things; they happen over time. This could be interpreted as a compromise of the self between conformity and individuality.

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A Guide to Understanding Individuality Complex

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Individuality complex does not exist. It is unimportant primarily because a complex in psychology would imply some sort of oddity. Individuality requires more than just individuality itself to be a complex. "Individuality complex" is characterized by an excessive or obsessive craving for individuality and independence.

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understanding the use of primary and secondary research. I began to research academic texts and visited the library to see which books I could use to gather research from for my diss

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I picked up some books to read from the library including:
-Clothing as material culture
-fashion as communication

This helped me widen my understanding of fashion marketing outside of the context of Corteiz

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Ask any hypebeast and they'll tell you that streetwear is not a trend. It's a lifestyle.

Streetwear is one of the fastest-growing and most powerful areas of the fashion industry. According to Business of Fashion, the global streetwear industry was worth an estimated $309 billion dollars in 2017. In a survey by Hypebeast, 45% of consumers surveyed say they purchase an item of streetwear clothing at least once a month, and 62% said they think streetwear products are always in style. Whether you like it or not, the streetwear fashion movement is here to stay.

That's why we're breaking down the biggest buzzword in fashion- streetwear-to help you understand the complex, multi-billion dollar industry that's taken over the global fashion scene. If you weren't already a hypebeast, you will be by the time you finish reading this.

We're giving you the 411 on streetwear fashion- right here, right now.

What is Streetwear?

The Definition of Streetwear

On its surface, the definition of streetwear is deceptively simple. The fashion industry defines streetwear as fashionable, casual clothing worn by followers of popular culture. The majority of these followers are under 30, live in urban areas, and belong to a subculture group (ex. skateboarders or hip-hop music fans).

The fashion industry has a difficult time pinpointing exactly what qualifies as streetwear style. It has a wide range of influences including skate and surf culture, hip-hop music, sports, haute couture fashion, and K-Pop. Its customer base is similarly diverse, spanning across every income level, socioeconomic status, and corner of the globe.

And no, we aren't just getting lazy. Streetwear is much more than a widespread shift towards casual clothing. Behind the overpriced t-shirts, mile-long lines at sneaker releases, and the designer logos slapped on literally everything imaginable, there's a whole lot more than meets the eye.

Streetwear's Influence on the Traditional Fashion Model

Streetwear flips the traditional fashion model on its head. In the past, designers and trend forecasters dictated what trends made it to the runway, buyers determined what styles made it in-store, and magazine editors told consumers what they should and shouldn't buy during the upcoming season. But now, through streetwear's predominantly direct-to-consumer model, it's the consumers themselves who are driving trends.

Streetwear didn't just disrupt fashion, it democratized it. Today's digital world means that street style from high-status individuals like influencers, celebrities, and musicians have a huge influence on what we find fashionable. Social media allows anyone to become an influencer or start their own clothing label. In streetwear, it's the millions of users liking, sharing, and retweeting that determine what the next trend is instead of the fashion elite.

Many streetwear brands sell exclusively through their own websites instead of through traditional retail channels. They also use single product drops (sneakerhead jargon for a product release) instead of following a traditional runway calendar. By releasing a limited quantity at a set time, brands can increase hype beforehand, ensure scarcity, and create high resale value after the product sells out. Some product drops require potential customers to enter a lottery just to shop for the product.

Streetwear as a Status Symbol

Luxury streetwear highlights the complex role fashion plays in our consumer culture. The logo on your chest or the sneakers on your feet represents more than the brand behind them. Slap a designer label on an item and it's a sign of status and exclusivity. These expensive labels are symbols of social status that reflect your income level and personal values.

In fashion, there's the haves (those in Balenciaga) and the have-nots (those in the Zara knock-offs). Because not everyone can get their hands on an exclusive pair of designer sneakers or afford to shell out a few hundred dollars for them, the fast fashion industry quickly hopped on the streetwear bandwagon to offer customers affordable dupes. While the untrained eye may be unable to tell the difference, an avid hypebeast can spot a fake or a hard-to-find designer piece from a mile away. Sneaker culture is very #IYKYK.

Streetwear as a Reflection of Pop Culture

Streetwear acts as a reflection of the current cultural landscape. What's considered street fashion changes as the people who wear it change too. Part of what's led to the industry's success is its inclusivity. Unlike most areas of fashion, streetwear is often size-inclusive, gender-neutral, and made or worn by people of color.

An example of streetwear's connection to pop culture can be seen through the various styles of music that influence street style. Throughout its history, streetwear has predominantly been influenced by hip-hop. Yep, you can thank the 80's and 90's rap scene for gold chains, tracksuits, bucket hats, and white Nikes. Hip-hop and fashion have a complex relationship spanning for decades.

Recently, streetwear has seen a new influence: K-Pop. Thanks to the worldwide popularity of K-Pop bands like BTS and Blackpink, streetwear is expanding its musical taste.

What Is Considered Streetwear?

Regardless of whether you're sporting an expensive designer tee with a logo slapped on it, or an affordable one from Zeitgeist *wink, wink* your fashion choices communicate something about who you are and what you value. Choose brands that reflect your personal style and fashion values.

Streetwear is extremely personal and depends largely on personal style, location and income level, so there's really no right or wrong way to wear streetwear. Style things in a way that feels authentic to you, not based on the #sponsored posts on your feed. Remember that at its core, streetwear is about mixing comfort and practicality with self-expression.

Hoodies & Sweatshirts

The Origins of Streetwear

When did streetwear start as a fashion trend?

Streetwear as we know it now began in the 1980s and 1990s.

In the United States, the modern streetwear movement can be traced back to California's surf and skate culture. In the 80s and 90s, the cool thing to do was deck your board out with cool stickers. Pretty soon boarders weren't just putting logos on their decks, they were wearing them too. Enter MTV and the trend explodes.

Streetwear was also heavily influenced by the early hip-hop fashion scene of the 80s and 90s. Streetwear's most important item, sneakers, came out of both hip-hop and basketball, two predominantly Black subcultures. This laid-back athletic-inspired style was an instant success when rappers like Jay-Z Snoop, and Biggie hit the mainstream and athletes like Michael Jordan began selling sneakers.

"If you're talking about the origins, then I think what we call street fashion now has naturally flowed on from skateboarding; but the current reality is different. It feels like sneaker culture now; sneakers and hip-hop culture have become the street culture."

- Hiroshi Fujiwara

Who started streetwear?

While it's difficult to pinpoint exactly who started streetwear, there are a few key players recognized as pioneers of the streetwear industry we know today:

Shawn Stussy, founder of California surf brand Stussy

James Jebbia, founder of skate brand Supreme

Dapper Dan, a Harlem-based designer who created luxury streetwear for hip-hop artists and influential people of color

What are the best streetwear brands?

Streetwear brands fall into four categories: original, sportswear, adopted, and luxury. Understanding the difference between the different types of streetwear brands can be the difference between looking like an OG and looking like a cheap wannabe. Below, you'll find a breakdown of who's who in the streetwear game.

(Insert shameless plug about how Zeitgeist is, at least in our humble opinion, one of the best streetwear brands out there... or at least in Seattle)

Original

Original streetwear brands are the OG's of the industry like Supreme, BAPE, Stussy, Palace, and Kith. Because of their history, they rely on exclusivity and brand recognition. While they're typically available at an accessible price point, their products have extremely high resale value. By only releasing a small quantity of an item, they ensure both scarcity and demand stay high. These companies often rerelease classic sneakers with new colorways or collaborative partners.

Sportswear

Sportswear and streetwear are often referred to interchangeably, largely because sportswear brands are the foundation of modern streetwear. These athleticwear brands have ridden the athleisure wave to expand their offering beyond sports-related performance apparel and classic sneakers. They produce a majority of streetwear's highest-value item, sneakers, giving them incredible financial power in the streetwear industry.

Adopted

Adopted streetwear brands were late to the party. These brands didn't start out making streetwear, but eventually hopped on the trend when it was financially lucrative to do so. Most products by these brands follow trends established by original streetwear brands. This also includes fast-fashion retailers who create dupes for luxury streetwear items.

Luxury

Luxury streetwear brands are relatively new to the fashion industry. They blur the lines between OG streetwear brands and old-school luxury fashion houses. While they're all about staying true to their streetwear roots, they offer products at a higher price point and appeal to traditional luxury customers. They function as status symbols and rely predominantly on exclusivity and scarcity.

Now that you know who's who and what's what with streetwear fashion, it's time to start wearing it yourself!

Might we suggest Zeitgeist for starters?

Ask any hypebeast and they'll tell you that streetwear is not a trend. It's a lifestyle.

Streetwear is one of the fastest-growing and most powerful areas of the fashion industry. According to Business of Fashion, the global streetwear industry was worth an estimated $309 billion dollars in 2017. In a survey by Hypebeast, 45% of consumers surveyed say they purchase an item of streetwear clothing at least once a month, and 62% said they think streetwear products are always in style. Whether you like it or not, the streetwear fashion movement is here to stay.

That's why we're breaking down the biggest buzzword in fashion- streetwear-to help you understand the complex, multi-billion dollar industry that's taken over the global fashion scene. If you weren't already a hypebeast, you will be by the time you finish reading this.

We're giving you the 411 on streetwear fashion- right here, right now.

What is Streetwear?

The Definition of Streetwear

On its surface, the definition of streetwear is deceptively simple. The fashion industry defines streetwear as fashionable, casual clothing worn by followers of popular culture. The majority of these followers are under 30, live in urban areas, and belong to a subculture group (ex. skateboarders or hip-hop music fans).

The fashion industry has a difficult time pinpointing exactly what qualifies as streetwear style. It has a wide range of influences including skate and surf culture, hip-hop music, sports, haute couture fashion, and K-Pop. Its customer base is similarly diverse, spanning across every income level, socioeconomic status, and corner of the globe.

And no, we aren't just getting lazy. Streetwear is much more than a widespread shift towards casual clothing. Behind the overpriced t-shirts, mile-long lines at sneaker releases, and the designer logos slapped on literally everything imaginable, there's a whole lot more than meets the eye.

Streetwear's Influence on the Traditional Fashion Model

Streetwear flips the traditional fashion model on its head. In the past, designers and trend forecasters dictated what trends made it to the runway, buyers determined what styles made it in-store, and magazine editors told consumers what they should and shouldn't buy during the upcoming season. But now, through streetwear's predominantly direct-to-consumer model, it's the consumers themselves who are driving trends.

Streetwear didn't just disrupt fashion, it democratized it. Today's digital world means that street style from high-status individuals like influencers, celebrities, and musicians have a huge influence on what we find fashionable. Social media allows anyone to become an influencer or start their own clothing label. In streetwear, it's the millions of users liking, sharing, and retweeting that determine what the next trend is instead of the fashion elite.

Many streetwear brands sell exclusively through their own websites instead of through traditional retail channels. They also use single product drops (sneakerhead jargon for a product release) instead of following a traditional runway calendar. By releasing a limited quantity at a set time, brands can increase hype beforehand, ensure scarcity, and create high resale value after the product sells out. Some product drops require potential customers to enter a lottery just to shop for the product.

Streetwear as a Status Symbol

Luxury streetwear highlights the complex role fashion plays in our consumer culture. The logo on your chest or the sneakers on your feet represents more than the brand behind them. Slap a designer label on an item and it's a sign of status and exclusivity. These expensive labels are symbols of social status that reflect your income level and personal values.

In fashion, there's the haves (those in Balenciaga) and the have-nots (those in the Zara knock-offs). Because not everyone can get their hands on an exclusive pair of designer sneakers or afford to shell out a few hundred dollars for them, the fast fashion industry quickly hopped on the streetwear bandwagon to offer customers affordable dupes. While the untrained eye may be unable to tell the difference, an avid hypebeast can spot a fake or a hard-to-find designer piece from a mile away. Sneaker culture is very #IYKYK.

Streetwear as a Reflection of Pop Culture

Streetwear acts as a reflection of the current cultural landscape. What's considered street fashion changes as the people who wear it change too. Part of what's led to the industry's success is its inclusivity. Unlike most areas of fashion, streetwear is often size-inclusive, gender-neutral, and made or worn by people of color.

An example of streetwear's connection to pop culture can be seen through the various styles of music that influence street style. Throughout its history, streetwear has predominantly been influenced by hip-hop. Yep, you can thank the 80's and 90's rap scene for gold chains, tracksuits, bucket hats, and white Nikes. Hip-hop and fashion have a complex relationship spanning for decades.

Recently, streetwear has seen a new influence: K-Pop. Thanks to the worldwide popularity of K-Pop bands like BTS and Blackpink, streetwear is expanding its musical taste.

What Is Considered Streetwear?

Regardless of whether you're sporting an expensive designer tee with a logo slapped on it, or an affordable one from Zeitgeist *wink, wink* your fashion choices communicate something about who you are and what you value. Choose brands that reflect your personal style and fashion values.

Streetwear is extremely personal and depends largely on personal style, location and income level, so there's really no right or wrong way to wear streetwear. Style things in a way that feels authentic to you, not based on the #sponsored posts on your feed. Remember that at its core, streetwear is about mixing comfort and practicality with self-expression.

Hoodies & Sweatshirts

The Origins of Streetwear

When did streetwear start as a fashion trend?

Streetwear as we know it now began in the 1980s and 1990s.

In the United States, the modern streetwear movement can be traced back to California's surf and skate culture. In the 80s and 90s, the cool thing to do was deck your board out with cool stickers. Pretty soon boarders weren't just putting logos on their decks, they were wearing them too. Enter MTV and the trend explodes.

Streetwear was also heavily influenced by the early hip-hop fashion scene of the 80s and 90s. Streetwear's most important item, sneakers, came out of both hip-hop and basketball, two predominantly Black subcultures. This laid-back athletic-inspired style was an instant success when rappers like Jay-Z Snoop, and Biggie hit the mainstream and athletes like Michael Jordan began selling sneakers.

"If you're talking about the origins, then I think what we call street fashion now has naturally flowed on from skateboarding; but the current reality is different. It feels like sneaker culture now; sneakers and hip-hop culture have become the street culture."

- Hiroshi Fujiwara

Who started streetwear?

While it's difficult to pinpoint exactly who started streetwear, there are a few key players recognized as pioneers of the streetwear industry we know today:

Shawn Stussy, founder of California surf brand Stussy

James Jebbia, founder of skate brand Supreme

Dapper Dan, a Harlem-based designer who created luxury streetwear for hip-hop artists and influential people of color

What are the best streetwear brands?

Streetwear brands fall into four categories: original, sportswear, adopted, and luxury. Understanding the difference between the different types of streetwear brands can be the difference between looking like an OG and looking like a cheap wannabe. Below, you'll find a breakdown of who's who in the streetwear game.

(Insert shameless plug about how Zeitgeist is, at least in our humble opinion, one of the best streetwear brands out there... or at least in Seattle)

Original

Original streetwear brands are the OG's of the industry like Supreme, BAPE, Stussy, Palace, and Kith. Because of their history, they rely on exclusivity and brand recognition. While they're typically available at an accessible price point, their products have extremely high resale value. By only releasing a small quantity of an item, they ensure both scarcity and demand stay high. These companies often rerelease classic sneakers with new colorways or collaborative partners.

Sportswear

Sportswear and streetwear are often referred to interchangeably, largely because sportswear brands are the foundation of modern streetwear. These athleticwear brands have ridden the athleisure wave to expand their offering beyond sports-related performance apparel and classic sneakers. They produce a majority of streetwear's highest-value item, sneakers, giving them incredible financial power in the streetwear industry.

Adopted

Adopted streetwear brands were late to the party. These brands didn't start out making streetwear, but eventually hopped on the trend when it was financially lucrative to do so. Most products by these brands follow trends established by original streetwear brands. This also includes fast-fashion retailers who create dupes for luxury streetwear items.

Luxury

Luxury streetwear brands are relatively new to the fashion industry. They blur the lines between OG streetwear brands and old-school luxury fashion houses. While they're all about staying true to their streetwear roots, they offer products at a higher price point and appeal to traditional luxury customers. They function as status symbols and rely predominantly on exclusivity and scarcity.

Now that you know who's who and what's what with streetwear fashion, it's time to start wearing it yourself!

Might we suggest Zeitgeist for starters?

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What is Streetwear? The 411 on Fashion's Biggest Buzzword - ZEITGEIST

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Ask any hypebeast and they'll tell you that streetwear is not a trend. It's a lifestyle. Streetwear is one of the fastest-growing and most powerful areas of the fashion industry. According to Business of Fashion, the global streetwear industry was worth an estimated $309 billion dollars in 2017.

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This article is part of the Streetwear Impact Report . The report includes data collected through two main research methods: our consumer survey and industry survey. Full description of methodology can be found in the Introduction.

The report is split into four articles. 001 Defining Streetwear details streetwear's origin and key cultural components. 002 Measuring Streetwear reports consumer spending habits and preferences. 003 How Streetwear Talks traces the communication loop between consumer and brand. 004 How Streetwear Sells dissects streetwear's tight-knit direct-to-consumer relationship and retail model. Visit the Executive Summary for a full overview.

Streetwear's dictionary definition is simple enough: fashionable, casual clothes. But that definition underplays what has become a multi billion-dollar retail phenomenon, with roots in countercultures of the 1980s and 1990s, including graffiti, hip-hop, skate and surf.

In essence, streetwear involves the production, promotion, sale and resale of casual fashion, principally of footwear, such as sneakers, but also T-shirts and other items - in ways that bypass traditional retail channels, often subverting the way the fashion industry has long defined and dictated how "cool" is made profitable. The audience, and therefore the target market, is very young: mostly under 25.

The communities that originally led streetwear were largely male dominated, and as such the style was originally adopted and driven by men, depicting traditionally masculine looks. In the beginning, streetwear was simple and an antidote to the elaborate, complicated styles that were in fashion at the time. The formula was straightforward: people wore T-shirts and hoodies because that's what they liked. This uniform was tied to both comfort and self-expression.

Pioneers of the movement include James Jebbia, founder of skate brand Supreme, and Shawn Stussy, founder of surf brand Stüssy. Designer Dapper Dan played a pivotal role in elevating streetwear to luxury as early as the 1980's out of Harlem, New York, creating styles for hip-hop artists who were shunned by traditional luxury brands at the time.

While the movement has roots in California and New York, other early adopters like Hiroshi Fujiwara and Nigo, both influential DJs and designers, were largely responsible for pioneering the street style and hip-hop scene in Japan in the 1980s. Like other major cultural movements, streetwear quickly rose simultaneously in major cities and regions throughout the globe.

And, like any major cultural movement, streetwear has not risen in a vacuum. Streetwear should not be viewed as a trend within fashion, but as the fashion leg of a larger shift that has given power to popular culture spanning fashion, art and music, and which is largely driven by black culture.

The mindset that drives this popular culture shift appeared as early as 1960s, when Andy Warhol questioned what constituted contemporary art. In the 1970s, artists such as Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring extended this conversation to street art, challenging traditional notions of who could access art and who it was for.

Hip-hop and rap similarly promoted a raw form of music motivated by rule breaking and finding art and sound in unconventional ways. Streetwear is analogous to an artist's street art or a hip-hop artist's lyrics: picking a spot and dropping a signature.

This level of authenticity is unmatched elsewhere in the fashion industry, which has typically operated through a top-down effect. Insiders act as the gatekeepers to the newest styles and trends. Streetwear has subverted this formula with a more democratic model.

With streetwear, the tastemakers are not only taking direction from style that comes from the streets, they are taking direction directly from the audience. It's the consumer who has the power to determine what's cool as much as the industry insider. The muscle of traditional fashion institutions - such as print publications and revered editors - has dwindled, while the opinions of general audiences have gained weight.

Streetwear derives its staying power from merging the original codes of luxury fashion with something new. Our consumer survey findings revealed that most (70%) consumer respondents like streetwear because it's cool, while more than half (57%) consider comfortable clothes to be a key factor. Additionally, close to half (46%) place importance on exclusivity, while around a quarter value status symbol (27%) and community (24%).

While a brand's coolness, exclusivity and status symbol have long been integral to fashion, streetwear introduces new key players: comfortable clothing and community. The exclusivity that drives streetwear, meanwhile, is driven more so by know-how than financial capacity to purchase. For brands, tapping into this in-crowd mindset poses the highest barrier to entry.

Each streetwear brand's value is derived from a range of sources, including product quality and design, celebrity followers, musicians and artists. But, arguably, no factor is perceived to be as important as authenticity, garnered by relating directly to the customers buying the products.

Most major fashion brands, luxury and mass market alike, are shifting their strategies to incorporate streetwear. Indeed, in our global industry survey of fashion and retail executives, 76% of respondents said they believed streetwear will continue to grow significantly over the next five years. Indeed, in a global survey of fashion and retail industry executives that we recently completed, 76% of respondents said they believed streetwear will continue to grow significantly over the next five years.

Key moments in the industry have signaled streetwear's growing dominance. In 2017, a collaboration between Supreme and Louis Vuitton marked a turning point for luxury fashion's awareness of streetwear. Vuitton appointed Virgil Abloh, a lauded streetwear designer, as creative director of menswear in 2018. Elsewhere, large-scale investment in streetwear has become increasingly common, headlined by Supreme's sale to The Carlyle Group in 2017 for an estimated US$500 million. Other streetwear brands, such as Japan's A Bathing Ape (BAPE), received investment as early as 2011. In 2018, footwear retailer Concepts struck a deal with Amazon-owned Zappos and Stadium Goods received backing from LVMH.

What began as a niche culture - literally starting with the printing of logos on T-shirts - is now a primary driver in the fashion industry, adopted by all genders and stretching from luxury to mall brands.
The current state of streetwear can be defined in four key ways:

Original streetwear brands are characterized by an accessible price point, comfortable clothing and authenticity. At their core, these brands are driven by a very direct motivation to put a word on a T-shirt. These brands include founding fathers such as Supreme, BAPE and Stüssy, as well as newer players such as Palace. Products from these brands often resell at a high price point due to scarcity and high demand.

Sportswear brands include leading athletic labels whose offering of athletic wear and sneakers are integral to the streetwear style. Sneakers created by brands such as adidas and Nike are cornerstones of the streetwear uniform.

Adopted streetwear brands have incorporated streetwear trends and styles into their product offering, but their brand origin is not authentically tied to the streetwear movement. This can include luxury and mass-market brands alike.

Luxury streetwear brands reflect the most recent emergence of brands that blur the lines between original streetwear and luxury fashion. These brands are also driven by authenticity but operate at a higher price point and diverge from the standard streetwear uniform. This includes brands such as Off-White™, AMBUSH and Vetements.

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This article is part of the Streetwear Impact Report . The report includes data collected through two main research methods: our consumer survey and industry survey. Full description of methodology can be found in the Introduction. The report is split into four articles. 001 Defining Streetwear details streetwear's origin and key cultural components.

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Corteiz Locked Down London Over The Weekend With Its ‘BOLO Exchange’

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London-based streetwear brand Corteiz sent socials wild over the weekend after shutting down the city with its ‘BOLO Exchange’. The event saw hundreds of…

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analysing Corteiz's online engagement - tiktok

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analysing Corteiz's online engagement - tiktok

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understanding which topics I want to dicusss in the essay
Rough Chapter 1 plan

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From Individual to Army - How CRTZ influenced the identity of Gen Z

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From Individual to Army - How CRTZ influenced the identity of Gen Z

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I read this book over the winter holiday, prior to writing chapter 2

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Generation Z has enormous spending power yet is one of the most challenging cohorts to reach. Ensure your brand stays tuned-in to the demographic's impatience, confidence and evolving trends.Generation Z is projected to be the largest consumer demographic in history, driving a forecast from the HRC Retail Advisory of 40% of all US consumer spending, and another 40% of all consumers in the US, Europe and BRIC by 2020 (Brazil, Russia, India, China), according to other sources.

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understanding that the idea of identity is too wide for the dissertation topic and narrowing the question down to
"How Corteiz influence the STREETWEAR identity of Gen Z"

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A person who is devoted to acquiring fashionable items

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by week 6, I completed writing most of chapter 1 and began to start thinking about how to incorporate the academic texts that I read into the chapters

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complete chapter 2 by the 1st of Jan
complete chapter 3 by 20th Jan
look over introduction and conclusion by 24th Jan
complete bibliography 24th Jan
SUBMIT 25TH