Legacy apparel grapples with GeNext rebellion as Gen Z opts for style & value over tags

Boxy shirts, Korean pants, oversized tees and cargos for boys. Gen Zs have aunique way of dressing up.

Some 20 brands launched in the past five years and aimed squarely at the social media generation — from Freakins and Bonkers Corner to Urbanic and Newme— are already nibbling into the sales of established rivals such as Zara and H&M in India.

Gen Z, the largest consumer cohort, isn’t brand conscious or loyal either, which is hurting global labels. Its members, between the ages of 13 and 28 years, frequently experiment with attire, from head to toe. Also, money isn’t a factor as most of these upcoming brands have price tags of Rs 500-800, almost half that of their rivals.

“Gen Z wears clothes to express themselves. The same consumer is wearing three different outfits on the same day. They go for aesthetically driven clothes which are statement pieces,” said Sumeet Jasoria, cofounder of Newme, a Gen Z-focused fashion brand.

With the generation joining the workforce in larger numbers and having money to spend, how they dress and where they shop for clothes is creating big shifts in the apparel and fashion industry.

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International brands, generally priced at Rs 1,200-1,500 and above on average, are losing steam.

For instance, sales growth slowed for top retailers and fast fashion brands, including Marks & Spencer, Zara, H&M, Levi’s, Uniqlo and Benetton in FY24. Sales growth at H&M and Zara fell from 40% in FY23 to 11% and 8%, respectively. Levi's slumped to 4% from 54% in FY23. Uniqlo's sales