Hacking the Gen Z streetwear revival

When luxury houses started incorporating sneakers into their collections circa 2017, streetwear underwent a major shift; critics would claim that subculture styles died altogether. Born from the underground, skateboard trailblazers like Palace, Stüssy, and Supreme are now widely recognized as mainstream fashion brands; alongside that, iconic Japanese brands such as Sacai, Needles and Beams are more associated with quiet luxury-loving millennials than young Gen Zers. That has left streetwear to undergo a transition period, which has been spearheaded by some newer cult players. Leading the way are Seoul-born label Thug Club (7 million views on Xiaohongshu, also known as RedNote, and 227,000 Instagram followers), and London’s Corteiz Rules The World (CRTZ) (312,900 views on Xiaohongshu and 1.6 million Instagram followers). Both brands have turned anti-establishment cool into commercial success, ultimately producing casualwear with distinct logos. Thug Club, for one, rose to prominence through a viral pair of controversial boxer briefs, which garnered a celebrity fanbase, from Sza, to American rapper Dababy who wore them on tour. Parting from skate culture and Japanese craftsmanship, the new-streetwear-success-story is one written through community, hype-driven yet authentic marketing, and brand worlds brimming with celebrity affiliates, from Skepta and buzzy painter Slawn (also known as Ola Olu Slawn) being friends of CRTZ’ founder Clint419, to South Korean artist Catallactics being part of the “Thug Club family.” Social media-fueled celebrity culture Boosted by social media culture, founder-fandom is the 2025 winning strategy for Gen Z streetwear, especially in an era when authenticity and cultural relevance often eclipse the role of craftsmanship. First case in point is Thug Club’s Yeong Min Cho, known as Thug Min, who co-founded the brand in 2018 with Kwon Jiyool. Despite stepping down coincidentally after accusations on a “diss track” from Korean rapper Sik-K, he was the brand: a Seoul fashion design student-turned-social media fixture who garnered influence through Facebook and YouTube long before his pieces landed on A$AP Rocky and SZA. Looking after brands such as Thug Club at Shanghai fashion week, Hyperoom manager Huachin Lin tells Jing Daily, “What makes Thug Club so special is that in addition to Thug Min (who has now left), there are other members that fans follow. Kwon is calm and doesn’t show his face or speak, he wraps himself up all year round, making everyone curious about his mystery.” Established in 2017, CRTZ founder Clint419 embodies that same enigmatic charisma that Gen Z consumers crave. Now just 28-years-old, Clint419 has 710,000 followers on Instagram — the majority of which are loyal Gen Z fans of his brand. His industry friendships (including rappers such as Central Cee, Skepta, Dave) have further embedded CRTZ into the British music scene, as a creative industry tastemaker. Just as Clint419 associates with artists who have become akin to a CRTZ gang that consumers want to represent, Thug Club has other members, too. Artist Catallactics (Jaehong) is a crazy party beast, and his exaggerated appearance is the mascot of Thug Club, Lin says. “He is also a target for fans to take photos (many people think he is the founder). The other members also have their own image and fans on social media, making the Thug Club more like a gang that only appears in anime, like One Piece,” he adds. Driving hype through community CRTZ’s marketing strategy has gone viral for its community-centric, guerrilla-style drops that elevate exclusivity into cultural moments. The brand famously does not do paid advertorials, or even gifting to influencers. Eschewing traditional advertising, the brand taps into an “if-you-know-you-know” ethos that fuels virality and belonging. A defining moment was in January 2022 with the “Da Great Bolo Exchange,” where fans, summoned by cryptic geographic coordinates on social media, queued in West London to swap their old The North Face puffer jackets for one of only 50 CRTZ Bolos. The traded garments were donated to a food aid charity, reinforcing the brand’s community-first narrative. A few other in-person releases were convened via last-minute announcements. In April this year, CRTZ doubled down on this disruptive model during its “Honey Black” Air Max 95 tour with Nike. Across London and New York, crowds formed for the in-person drop, which sold out after one hour online, and now sits on StockX at a 32% price premium. Mainstream kills “Most of the success of today’s men’s streetwear brands is due to having a stable community base,” says Lin. “Thug Club showcases their chopper culture and hip-hop culture through their crazy social media content. First of all, hip-hop culture is obviously the most popular street culture today, and secondly, chopper culture satisfies everyone’s curiosity about niche culture that they can’t usually access, and this culture also represents freedom and rebellion.” The common thread for both CRTZ and Thug Club is having a handle on the underground. When Supreme launched a Louis Vuitton collaboration back in 2017, many followers thought it had sold out — being mainstream is not a win for streetwear. Both brands’ collaboration strategies acknowledge this. Thug Club has launched a plethora of co-branded collections, from Adidas to Fila and Oakley, yet each aligns with the brand’s design ethos. CRTZ has only collaborated with Nike so far. Lin says that above everything else, celebrity founders are key to success among streetwear-loving Gen Zers in Asia and the West. “To capture the younger generation of consumers, it is necessary to go viral on social media, or have a spiritual leader like Rick Owens or Clint, who is active on social media and has a strong personal style,” he says. “It is similar to the ‘blogger brand’ trend that is happening in China. Many influencers started their own clothing brands. However, in addition to the fan traffic that bloggers naturally bring, creating a strong brand culture is essential.” This is all essential for luxury brands wanting to be part of youth culture. The most powerful currency among Gen Z is not the designs, it is what the logos represent, from community to culture, and celebrity fandom.

Hacking the Gen Z streetwear revival

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Published May 27, 2025

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Hacking the Gen Z streetwear revival