The streetwear sector is estimated to be worth around $165 billion worldwide, with many streetwear brands relying on engaged communities and the authenticity of their product offerings to foster relationships with their loyal fanbases. As the streetwear hashtag on TikTok has over 8.4 billion posts and the same hashtag on Instagram has over 56 million posts, what could the future of streetwear fashion look like?

We spoke to Zorsha Taylor, a writer, columnist and former fashion editor, about what streetwear fashion means to people now, how logo branding influences streetwear and how Gen Z are shaping streetwear fashion:

What do you think streetwear fashion means to people now?

Nowadays styles are more open than before, and people adopt styles based on their ‘aesthetic’ – how they look – more so than what they represent. A lot of the subcultural elements are lost or diluted.

Does logo branding still influence streetwear?
From observing general trends, logos now are deemed tacky or tone-deaf as people in the West are undergoing financial troubles. This also happened post-2008 after the recession. Since 2020, I have seen people branch out a bit from the logos and bigger brands, instead opting for more mismatched, experimental outfits. Sustainable brands are also bigger than ever right now due to eco-awareness, rather than logo products.

How is Gen Z driving new codes and shaping streetwear fashion?
This is an incredibly diverse generation. Due to their time spent online, you get a range of different characters. Some may be ‘hypebeasts’, while some are anti-consumerism and involve themselves more into eclectic clothing. Access to different internet spaces as well as a desire to subvert previous traditions facilitate a lot of Gen Z fashion.

Brand in action:
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