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?

Dripping with diamonds might once have been the ultimate status symbol, but these days buying organic is equally likely to win you prestige. Canvas8 spoke with Elizabeth Currid-Halkett, a consumer economy expert, to understand how markers of social status in America are currently evolving.

With stores, entertainment venues, and domestic travel set to reopen, there’s much excitement about ‘revenge spending’. But after a year in sweats and reflecting on their relationship with opulence, what does luxury mean to people? Canvas8 polled 1,000 Americans and spoke to eight to find out.

Just because people want luxury to become more accessible doesn’t mean luxury brands have fallen out of favour. On TikTok, teens are proudly buying the #cheapestitems sold by high-end brands and unboxing them for all to see, showing how aspirational luxury is becoming smaller, but not obsolete.