The Tamesis
In the months following Spring/Summer 2026, we’ve seen major brands welcome a slew of new hires to their communications, marketing and design departments. Our new series, Fashion’s Real Reset Starts Now, looks at all of these changes and how they will redefine the fashion industry in the coming years.
Rose gold, girl bosses, socks, photo dumps, checklists, sides… Millennials seem to be the most ridiculed generation in history, in part because no one cares about generational discourse as much as Millennial media companies did in their heyday. (See: almost all buzz test, vice columns and Walkers Explainer of the 2010s. ) In a way, we are the authors of our own destruction.
The thing is, we are now also parents, homeowners, and increasingly people’s bosses. Of the 19 creative directors appointed in 2025, 13 are millennial designers, 11 of whom are at the helm of traditional fashion brands.
What does this generational shift mean for fashion? We asked 14 Generation Y fashion industry insiders to reflect on the new status quo.
Leanne Elliott-Young, CEO, Digital Fashion Institute
Everything from governments to payment systems to the way we fundamentally communicate, build relationships and communities is being reinvented and rewritten. Human nature has changed, and fashion has always been a reflection of that change. Therefore, the old, dusty system must innovate and embrace those who understand the space, namely the Millennials.
Millennial creative directors are effective because we are in between worlds. We respect tradition and brand equity, but we also grew up with the Internet, platforms and eternal disruption. We know that authority today is earned through relevance, fluency, and responsiveness, not mystery and perception.
The Gen Z path becomes embedded and elevated as Millennial leaders build their teams; community-first thinking, gaming, social responsibility, digital identity and the creator economy reshape fashion from a broadcast industry to a participatory industry. My approach as CEO reflects this reality. Staying current on emerging technologies is not optional, it’s how brands stay competitive, credible and culturally vibrant, especially with the rise of sustainability-based compliance.
Charlie Smith, Chief Brand Officer, Nothing
The industry needs modernization as it has many legacy systems and processes that feel outdated in today’s world. Millennial designers have experienced the birth of the internet, the fragmentation of the media landscape and the emergence of social media, and they have an innate understanding of how to attract a new generation of luxury customers. The biggest challenge facing designers will be how to adapt to the new reality of the AI revolution.
The hope is that a new generation of executives will work with them to rethink not just creativity and ways of building the world, but also how to build brands to meet a new generation of customers and their expectations for service, experience and relationships.
My own approach is more informal, collaborative, and iterative than I imagine the way work has historically been. My goal is to allow all team members, but most importantly the youngest, to unleash their creativity. This is becoming increasingly important as we Millennials are no longer young and cool, so we need to rely on the next generation to keep us up to date with the latest behaviors and trends to resonate with our peers.
Daisy Hoppen, founder of DH-PR
Change is good for all industries, but this year’s changes are truly jarring. I think a lot of brands are looking for new ways to grow their business and their audience. Although this seems to coincide with a huge shift, I can only hope that this will ultimately have a positive impact on the industry. COVID-19 has certainly caused a creative lull, with a reliance on data over creativity at times, coupled with massive changes in the wholesale industry – all of which have created a need for change.
