Gen Z now drives more than £360 billion in global fashion spend and sets the pace of culture. But this generation is growing up with radically different priorities, influences, and technology than any before. Their path to purchase is blurred because discovery, inspiration and buying often happen in a single scroll.

Globally, 30% of Gen Zs use social media to source inspiration for things to buy, and they’re 11% more likely than any other generation to do so. TikTok trends peak in hours, Instagram Reels demand native storytelling, and YouTube Shorts reward quick, vertical narratives. Traditional campaign models simply can’t keep up on their own. 

To win Gen Z’s attention and turn it into sales, brands need digital fashion content creation that’s insight-led, fast, and designed for each platform. From POP MART’s Labubu, which Rihanna and LISA have turned into a fashion accessory, to the rise of Pariscore, fuelled by 'The Summer I Turned Pretty', the scroll is where fashion trends are born and where they’re bought. Brands that plan for this moment stay ahead of culture instead of chasing it.

Understanding Gen Z’s Scroll Psychology

Gen Z don’t passively consume; they find little gems and sort them into archives and folders, ready for purchasing and inspiring their next move. They expect to see both polished brand worlds and the raw behind-the-scenes shots behind them. They’re looking for the “gold among the clutter” content that feels authentic but still inspires.

They move fast. A styling hack, dance, or audio trend can be global one day and gone the next. For CMOs, that means having a constant view of what’s emerging culturally and being ready to create into it, not after it peaks.

At THG Studios, we track cultural and behavioural data to inform every shoot, ensuring our fashion and editorial photography feels current, and our agile social assets land (and look good) while the conversation is still alive.

Create Platform-First Content, Not Platform-Later

Cutting one hero film into social clips no longer works. Each platform has its own visual codes:

• TikTok and Instagram Reels thrive on fast edits, trending audio, and creator-led storytelling.
• YouTube Shorts rewards quick narratives that resolve in seconds.
   

Gen Z spots the difference between content that’s been thought through and content that’s just… there. It isn’t as simple as someone in the team pulling out an iPhone and hoping for the best.

We plan every shoot with a clear strategy, which means capturing the big, polished hero shots and the quick, platform-ready moments at the same time. The results are scalable lookbook and product content shoots that feel thoughtful and on-trend, without needing to reshoot every time a new trend appears (which could be every week at this rate).

Balancing Hi-Fi with Lo-Fi: Mastering Scalable Lookbook and Product Shoots for Gen Z

For this generation, authenticity matters as much as aspiration. They want to see behind the scenes but still admire craft and quality. A polished campaign image may hook them, and a creator’s front camera styling video might close the sale.

We design productions with both in mind: cinematic fashion and editorial photography for brand equity, and agile social capture on the same set to feed TikTok and Reels in real time. This mix gives Gen Z the high-impact visuals they share and the credible, human touch that drives them to buy.

Design for Scroll-Stopping: The Art of Digital Fashion Content Creation

Gen Z scrolls fast, which means brands have seconds to earn attention. Dropping a product in front of a blank backdrop isn’t enough anymore. Content lands harder when it’s set inside a world, even if that world is small and clever rather than huge and costly.

We use Virtual Production and smart, on-brand set design to build these worlds fast. When P.Louise needed a Christmas wonderland for their iconic Advent calendar TikTok live, we designed it, built it, and streamed within hours - proof that immersive doesn’t have to mean slow or expensive.

• Right-sized worlds: Sets that feel true to the brand, like a bedroom, a walk-in wardrobe, a city street, or a boutique fitting room.
• Virtual production, no travel required: LED backdrops and digital environments create scale without big builds or flights.
• Interactive and shoppable: AR filters, clickable details, or QR codes to keep viewers exploring beyond the first scroll.
• Rapid build and live-stream ready: Taking an initial idea to on-set filming in hours, not weeks.

How Smart Creative Engages Gen Z

Our model: Insights, creative development and activation connect the entire journey from idea to live campaign.

• Insights uncover what’s trending and why it matters. Without diving into cultural data, would you know that in September the most-watched conversations were driven by things like #DancingWithTheStars, #OceanEyes, the Apple event and even the Blood Moon?
• Creative turns those insights into bold ideas built for TikTok, Reels and Shorts.
• Activation deploys at speed, with performance tracking that shows what converts.
   

Because strategy, production and measurement sit under one roof, brands move as fast as the platforms demand, without losing quality or consistency.

At the end of every scroll, Gen Z want more than a flat product shot; they’re looking for a world worth stepping into. They want to see garments moving on real bodies, quick try-ons that feel personal, mini hauls that spark ideas, and styling hacks shot in spaces that feel true to the brand.

For brands, the brief is clear: create content built for the scroll, insight-led, platform-specific and quick enough to stay part of the conversation as it happens. That’s how we help fashion brands stay culturally relevant and drive real demand.