In an always-on consumer culture, people are used to buying what they want whenever they want. But can possessions comfort and fulfill us during uncertain times? Canvas8 spoke to Bruce Hood, author ofPossessed,to understand the psychology behind owning new things.

Branded merchandise was once solely found at business conventions and in the wardrobes of fervent fans, but it’s enjoying a renaissance as Gen Yers and Zers seek new ways of expressing their identity. What does this resurgence reveal of the shifting nature of consumer-brand relationships?

Though most of them weren’t alive to experience it first-hand, American Gen Zers are obsessed with ‘90s pop culture. Dumbgood is tapping into this ‘fauxstalgia’ with officially licensed streetwear featuring TV and film stills, turning its young customers into walking, talking, retro memes.

Puerto Rican pop star Bad Bunny has embraced a gender-fluid, queer aesthetic which breaks rank with the machismo rooted in Latino culture. How has he used his platform to amplify LGBTQ causes and cultures? And what does his success say about listeners’ changing musical tastes?