Gwyneth King is a multimedia storyteller based in Metro Manila, Philippines, with a BA in Communication Arts from De La Salle University. She is a curious human who translates her perspectives on the lived experience into writing, often intertwining her sentimentality and tenderness between the lines.

When author Kyle Chayka explored 2010s minimalism in Longing for Less, a very different world existed. Today, a polycrisis-ridden and digitally saturated society finds people yearning for more. Whether you chalk it up to post-pandemic release or a general sense of impending doom, people are now looking for a new maximalism of feelings, dimensions, and possibilities to reinvigorate them and make their lives feel full.

While people are craving memorable, visceral, and immersive experiences, there's no longer a singular definition of what this might look like. Some are embracing maximalist hedonism through clubbing, extreme tourism, and different kinds of sensory overload, while others are tapping into more gentle, inward-looking, and contemplative experiences like listening bars and communal spas. It signals the emergence of the' Introvert Economy' of cosy, home-adjacent spaces and activities or seeking soothing and quasi-spiritual encounters through hobbies like birdwatching and forest bathing.

The desire for deeply captivating and emotionally engaging experiences extends beyond the physical world – social media, VR, AR, and even image-based interactions must now resonate to the same degree, creating truly memorable moments and environments.

In this consumer and cultural universe driven by exploration and immersion, the boundary between experiences and material goods continues to blur. We're less likely to see them as a dichotomy, as people are increasingly interested in experiential qualities of things and consuming commodified 'thing-like experiences'. This discovery-oriented mindset is opening up new avenues for fulfilment, gratification, and transformation.

Experience Hunters

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

 is a writer and fragrance enthusiast who lives and works in Seoul, South Korea. Her writing has appeared in the Seattle Met, Visit Seattle, and 

, is the dean of the Sookmyung Business School and a professor of marketing at Sookmyung Women’s University in Seoul. He specialises in brand marketing and retail management.

Gen Y (born 1982-1996)

Gen Z (born 1997-2010)

South Korea

Republic of Korea

Luxury

The Korea Herald

InsideRetail

BeautyTech.jp

Consumer Times

Mintoiro

Fortune

VICE

Daxue Consulting

Britannica

The Korea Times

Business of Fashion

Rolling Stone

Vogue Business

Jezebel

Interview with Dr. Yong Gu Suh conducted by the author

Interview with Anna Edlund conducted by the author

Ipsos

Hankyung

Asiance

Chosun Daily

Interview with Dr Yong Gu Suh conducted by the author

GMA News Online

Wired

How do you brand an invisible product? By building captivating worlds that immerse your senses. The creators of Gentle Monster foray into the olfactory with TAMBURINS. Inside its stores, huge, life-like sculptures and miniature figures come together, inviting shoppers to experience scents beyond smell.