Fashion has been rewired by “dopamine culture,” where social media algorithms reward speed, spectacle and constant novelty and fuel a cycle of short-lived viral trends. But that model may be reaching its limit. Microtrends are losing their grip on audiences, who are gravitating towards longer-form content with more narrative depth and shifting their focus to brands that reflect their identities and give them a sense of belonging. Nearly nine in 10 consumers say being part of a like-minded brand community strengthens their connection to a brand more than other engagement tactics like influencer marketing.
AI is also impacting brand loyalty by making product comparisons easier, while consumers simultaneously shift discretionary spend away from goods to travel and experiences. Executives say customer retention is therefore more important than ever, with 50 percent identifying it as a top priority for 2026. Fashion brands that connect with what matters most to today’s consumers will be best positioned to earn lasting loyalty.
62% of consumers say they have an emotional connection to the brands they buy from the most.
A growing focus on wellbeing is shaping the identities and priorities of consumers today
Wellbeing is redefining how consumers globally live and define themselves, shifting from a pursuit of niche enthusiasts to a priority across consumer segments. Eighty-four percent of US consumers and 94 percent of Chinese consumers now consider wellness a top or important priority. Gen Z and Millennials are at the forefront, accounting for over 40 percent of US wellness spending in 2024. For many in this generation, wellbeing has evolved from hobby into a defining part of who they are, with 55 percent considering fitness to be a core part of their identity.
Consumers today are focused not just on living longer but living better. Around 60 percent of consumers say “healthy ageing” is a top priority. This is fuelling the longevity movement, which reframes everything from diet and sleep to skincare and fitness through the lens of vitality and balance. The focus has shifted from relentless self-optimisation to equilibrium, where health is balanced with enjoyment and discipline with indulgence.
As the wellbeing movement accelerates, there is a growing opportunity for fashion brands
The wellness market is surging as wellbeing becomes central to how consumers spend their time, money and engage with brands. This is not a passing trend, but an enduring lifestyle shift, with the wellness market growing 6 percent annually from 2019 to date and forecast to continue growing at 5 to 6 percent per year through 2028. It is reshaping consumers’ spending across categories, from what they eat (around half of consumers and two-thirds of Gen Z and Millennials purchased functional-nutrition products and supplements last year) to how they socialise (as seen in social wellness clubs such as Remedy Place gaining traction).
55% of consumers are willing to invest more than $100 a month in nutrition, self-care, physical and mental health.
Since they are intrinsically linked to lifestyle, fashion brands should consider how they engage with the wellbeing-focused customer. For many, this space has offered a natural entry point into adjacent categories such as athleisure and skincare, enabling brands to capture a broader share of lifestyle spending. But further opportunity lies in integrating consumers’ shifting priorities towards wellbeing — and the changing consumer identities they reflect — more deeply across their ecosystems.
51% of consumers would spend the same or more on health and wellness if their discretionary income decreased.
Brands are leveraging ‘third spaces’ increasingly tied to wellbeing to deepen connection
Fashion players are attempting to deepen emotional connection with customers by creating “third spaces” — social environments that sit between home and work, encouraging customers to spend valuable time with a brand, whether online or in-person. Brands are leveraging these spaces as tools to attract and retain customers, with almost one third of consumers first discovering a brand aligned with their values through brand-community interactions.
Wellbeing is becoming increasingly central to these third-spaces as brands seek to connect with customers on what matters most to them. For example, Dior’s growing portfolio of branded spas extends the brand further into customers’ lifestyles, while Lululemon’s yoga hubs and Missoma’s London running clubs promote mindful, community-focused engagement.
Kith Ivy in New York City
Kith Ivy, a new members club in New York City scheduled to open in late 2025, blends retail, dining, wellbeing and leisure into a single experience. It includes rooftop padel courts, an Erewhon tonic bar and Moroccan-inspired cuisine from Café Mogador. It also includes an Armani Spa, offering wellbeing-orientated experiences including sports massages and IV drips. In celebration of the launch, Kith will introduce its first collection of apparel and equipment, available at the Pro Shop located within the club. Together, these elements create a holistic environment where culture, commerce and self-care meet.
Alo Wellness Club and Retreats
Alo Yoga’s Wellness Club is a subscription-based digital platform centred on the pillars of yoga, fitness, mindfulness and self-care. The online experience offers members on-demand access to fitness instructors. The brand has also moved into physical spaces and offers in-person wellness retreats that bring community members together around Pilates, mindfulness and food. Most recently, a three-day retreat at a luxury resort in Mexico offered an immersive experience led by renowned instructors.
Truly aligning with evolving consumer priorities will require a holistic transformation
While wellbeing-orientated third spaces can deepen connection and drive footfall, truly reflecting consumers’ evolving priorities and wellbeing-shaped identities requires brands to embed wellbeing consistently and deliberately across strategic levers.
Lighter-touch wellbeing integration
Brands can embed storytelling that promotes balance and vitality into their marketing messages to credibly align to the wellbeing-orientated consumer. In addition, they can collaborate with wellbeing ambassadors or influencers to connect with their audiences organically. As a step further, brands can create pop-up events or immersive in-store experiences, such as the Wellness Galerie at Galeries Lafayette, and launch product extensions like Celine’s Pilates clothes and accessories.
Holistic wellbeing integration
To fully tap into the wellbeing movement, brands should consider embedding wellbeing into both their DNA and go-to-market approach. This means intentionally rethinking assortment and design codes to reflect a deeper commitment to wellbeing and balanced living, with these principles carried through channel strategy and retail experiences to authentically reinforce the brand’s positioning and drive revenue. Sporty & Rich, for example, has built its identity around “wellness-inspired apparel and accessories,” and also offers a beauty range, sleepwear and the recently published “Sporty & Rich Wellness Book” written by the brand’s founder, Emily Oberg.
How should executives respond to these shifts?
Determine if wellbeing sits at the core or periphery of the brand
Define how far the brand should evolve to align with the wellbeing movement, from marketing shifts to full brand DNA transformation.
Begin by developing an in-depth understanding of what the brand stands for, what matters most to customers and how effectively the brand already delivers on those expectations today. Stay abreast of consumers’ shifting identities using insights from tools such as social listening and search analytics to guide the extent of wellbeing integration.
Execute strategic integrations authentically
Map how your brand can authentically execute on the wellbeing opportunity across relevant categories, services or communities.
Identify white spaces that align with existing offerings, brand values and design codes to embed wellbeing authentically and avoid overextension. Successful integration often builds on what the brand already does well and extends those strengths into the wellbeing space in ways that feel natural and emotionally resonant.
Prioritise opportunities with data-led insights on projected customer adoption, revenue potential and risk.
Build credibility in the wellbeing space through long-term commitment
Build meaningful and lasting connection with customers around wellbeing through discipline and consistency. This demands sustained action that shows up across products, services and experiences.
Track consistency of brand values to ensure initiatives enhance rather than dilute brand equity and resonate with customers.
Partnerships can further strengthen credibility. Collaborating with credible wellbeing experts, creators, and adjacent sectors such as fitness, hospitality and beauty enables brands to expand their influence and reinforce authority in the space.
This article first appeared in The State of Fashion 2026, an in-depth report on the global fashion industry, co-published by BoF and McKinsey & Company.