Brands are (still) embracing the power of “ugly.” Consumers’ definition of beauty is constantly evolving, and while the concept of “ugly” design is nothing new, Gen Z and Millennials have been reviving the concept while calling on brands to ditch traditional beauty standards and embrace the “unfiltered” instead. Gen Z-founded Parade is rewriting the rulebook for advertising lingerie, focusing on a “joyfully, un-corporately peppered” Instagram feed and celebrating every body type. Skincare brand Topicals openly embraces flare-ups and flaws with unfiltered, honest photography and graphics. And Crocs, well, they’ve been spearheading ugly since day one with their beautifully eccentric clunky footwear everyone has come to love (and lovehate). YPulse’s Cult of Ugly trend research found that young consumers are experiencing “perfection fatigue,” and 89% of 13-36-year-olds think that we should all embrace and show off our flaws more often. (Fast Company)