Category
Fashion
Scaled Restraint
Trend cluster
Category
Referential
Luxury
Fashion goes beyond retro-kitsch, appealing to nostalgic Gen X insiders.
3.6
Trend score
Trend
What is the Referential Luxury trend?
Referential Luxury: With endless Instagram feeds and Tumblr accounts dedicated to retro fashion, throwback aesthetics are assumed to target Millennials. However, a more nuanced approach to old-school revival is rising in popularity: archival re-releases, the popularity of which hinges on the audience's ability to recognize references from the 90s and early 2000s.
Insight
The consumer insight behind the Referential Luxury trend
The time period referenced by this approach to nostalgia indicates an attempt to appeal to young Gen Xers who have insider knowledge of fads from this bygone era. This is because the notoriously difficult-to-target generation is more inclined to react to familiarity. References to their own lived experiences take this to the extreme, while also acknowledging that "cool" does not belong to the youth consumer, but to the generation who initiated the trends that are only now being revived through social media.
Trend themes
Themes within the Referential Luxury trend
Three behaviours holding the trend together01
Referential Luxury
Archival re-releases that reference the 90s and early 2000s appeal to nostalgic Gen X insiders.
02
Nostalgia-Inducing Archival Tributes
Online platforms such as OLD CÉLINE offer a nostalgic experience to consumers while teaching them about a label's recent heritage and creative approach.
03
Reviving Retro Aesthetics
Fashion brands update retro aesthetics to create updated versions of classic designs like Dior's 2018 saddle purse and Helmut Lang's taxi campaign featuring cabbie-inspired streetwear.
Industry implications
What the Referential Luxury trend means for industry
Where the trend changes the playbookFor
Fashion and Luxury
Luxury fashion brands are releasing archival re-releases and updating retro designs for the nostalgia-driven Gen X consumers.
For
Marketing and Advertising
Advertising campaigns like Helmut Lang's taxi campaign create connections between common urban professions and high-end streetwear, offering a disruptive innovation opportunity for marketing and advertising professionals.
For
Digital Marketing
Online archival platforms like OLD CÉLINE provide a way for luxury fashion brands to engage with consumers and generate digital content for brand storytelling.
Workshop question
What is one cyclical fad from the early 2000s that your brand could leverage through marketing?
Trend signals
Trend signals for Referential Luxury
Trend score 3.6 out of 10, from popularity 41%, activity 60%, freshness 8%.
Popularity41%
Activity60%
Freshness8%
Audience
50%Men
50%Women
- Gen Alpha
- Gen Z
- Millennial
- Gen X
- Boomer (not a primary audience)
Market
North America
Europe
Asia-Pacific
Evidence
Examples of the Referential Luxury trend
4 featured examples from Mar 31, 2018 to Jan 24, 2019CategoryFashion
Celebratory Anniversary Fashion Lines
The Lacoste 85th Anniversary Capsule Collection is Retro
Disruptive innovation opportunity: Introduce augmented reality shopping experiences that allow customers to virtually try on and purchase clothing from anniversary fashion collect…
CategoryPop Culture
Nostalgia-Inducing Archival Tributes
OLD CÉLINE Pays Homage to Designer Phoebe Philo's 10 Year Run
Luxury fashion brands can use an online archive to showcase past collections, campaigns, and projects, and create an emotional connection with consumers.
CategoryLuxury
Updated Luxe Saddle Bags
Dior's New Boho-Style Bag is Based on a Design from the 2000s
Fashion companies looking to capitalize on nostalgia and update vintage styles can create fresh offerings like Dior's new luxe saddle bags.
CategoryMarketing
Fashion-Forward Global Taxi Campaigns
Helmut Lang's Limited-Edition Line Pays Homage to Cabbies
The fashion industry can benefit from incorporating limited-edition lines of apparel that pay homage to and romanticizes common urban professions.
