Abbi Henderson is a journalist, editor, and social media manager specialising in health, fitness, and women’s sport. She writes for titles including 

In a hyper-connected world, it feels like everything previously ‘insider’ is more available than ever: from behind-the-scenes access to the lives of public figures to travel experiences immersing people into worlds previously deemed unattainable. But while people embrace this community-based inclusivity and unprecedented access to their icons, they still yearn for touches of exclusivity to define their status.

As the age-old understanding of exclusivity is eroded, people are redefining status for themselves using a broad range of factors beyond solely economic ones. This new iteration of status is often based around increasingly niche and local signifiers – from luxury dupes to the rise of members clubs and closed-community spaces based on shared interests. Status is becoming a mode of belonging and connection with like-minded people.

People are erecting walls of their exclusive communities, relying on more subtle markers of identity. This is apparent with middle-class people fetishising working-class aesthetics, athletes turning to niche sports like padel, and social media groups organising around niche interests – spawning companies. As status-defined micro-trends on social media accelerate, brands face a challenge to keep up. If previously certain legacy items were automatically associated with exclusivity, now people are much more trusting of the UGC-defined vision of what status means. More than ever, speed, knowledge, inventiveness, and being plugged into the community determine what – and who – is in.

Insider Status

From decentralised autonomous organisations (DAOs)  run on Discord to city-wide mutual aid groups, people are finding safety and optimism in numbers. For growing numbers of people, collective action is emerging as the only viable solution to compounding crises and deepening alienation.

World Builders

, an international beauty and fashion branding strategy and content marketing consultancy. Her 16-year career has been marked by experience with global powerhouses from LVMH to iconic brand strategy consultancies, including Landor and Interbrand. Now at Beautiful Sparks, she helps fast-growing, digitally-native brands get on the path to becoming household names through brand strategy, messaging, visual identity, content storytelling, and digital community-building campaigns.

Gen Y (born 1982-1996)

Gen Z (born 1997-2010)

United Kingdom

Physical health

Clothing, footwear, and accessories

Strava

Interview with Effie Asafu-Adjaye conducted by the author

Direct Commerce

Internet Retailing

Statista

TSC London Marathon

Sport England

The Guardian

Pandemic wardrobes may seem like a thing of the past, but certain trends that have taken over in recent years continue to permeate fashion. Capitalising on the athleisure and streetwear vibe shift, UVU club designs clothing for fitness fanatics seeking insider status within a wellness community.