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The Top 12 Luxury Brands Gen Z Wants to Own Heading into 2026

For Gen Z, luxury is a mix of high–end and non-traditional brands where Apple and Gucci both feel aspirational…

Written and Edited by the YPulse Editorial Team

Nov 4 2025
North America

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Gen Z’s most-wanted luxury brands are determined by how something makes them feel, not just how much it costs
Coach has climbed its way back to the top, especially with young females
Nike, Lululemon, and Apple sit alongside traditional luxury brands for Gen Z’s most-wanted

For Gen Z (and even younger Millennials), luxury doesn’t just mean designer price tags—it’s all about the experience and emotion behind the buy. In fact, YPulse’s Luxury report shows 69% of 13-39-year-olds agree, “Luxury is a feeling, not a thing.” Young consumers see “luxury” as anything that lets them treat themselves, whether that means splurging on designer, scoring a secondhand treasure, or snagging a limited-edition collab from a brand their parents would never think of as high-end. Their relationship with luxury is shaped as much by affordability and accessibility as it is by aspiration. That means for some, a new...