Once a signifier of luxury or novelty, custom products and services are now within reach of the everyday consumer, thanks to the rise of artificial intelligence, algorithm-led platforms, and the COVID-era digitisation boom. Today, everyone wants to be the main character of their brand experience.

Balmain is collaborating with Barbie to create a ready-to-wear genderless line inspired by the doll's aesthetics with an NFT of dolls wearing Balmain apparel available for auction. The move demonstrates the value of nostalgia while simultaneously updating classic iconography with modern values.

Cultural memory is getting shorter, with mass digitisation causing people to seek solace in the recent past. But it’s not solely about innocence – ‘nowstalgia’ is fuelled by a desire to reimagine and right perceived wrongs. So, how is a meme mindset impacting Gen Z’s media consumption and style?

From chunky highlights and butterfly clips to Ayurvedic dry-brushing and bar soap, a growing number of people are adopting beauty routines that harken back to a simpler time. This traditional, back-to-basics approach to personal care is gaining appeal as an antidote to a crisis-filled world.

As anxieties around COVID-19 have segued into a deeper and more consistent malaise, a longing for simpler times has caused some people to reshape everyday behaviours around comforting goods and long-established rituals. How is this sense of nostalgia impacting beauty and wellness habits?