Introduction: A Cross-Continental Conversation

This article was born from one of our regular conversations between two friends who happen to share a deep passion for the world of beauty and luxury. Karen Marin, Essencional's content director based in Paris, and Carlo Pignataro, a luxury industry veteran, author, and podcaster based in Dubai, often meet — virtually or in person — to exchange views on industry trends.

During one such conversation, a shared frustration emerged: despite holding most of the economic power and an ongoing desire for a lifestyle rooted in meaning, beauty, and quality, older generations are increasingly ignored by the very industries they helped build. This article is our way of giving voice to a generation that still matters — not just financially, but culturally.

The Vanishing Act: When Older Consumers Feel Ignored

Last week, a friend of mine from San Francisco, said Karen — a successful, 60-year-old gay man — was in town to celebrate his birthday. Over dinner, he said, "I’m invisible now. No one sees me, no one caters to me, no one cares about me. I have money to spend, but nothing speaks to me anymore."

He’s not alone. Women in the 50+ age group have told me the same thing. One said, "I go shopping, but fashion isn’t targeted to me. Even anti-wrinkle creams use 25-year-old models, and the directions are printed in tiny text. Seriously?"

These aren’t isolated frustrations; they point to a larger issue: a marketing world where diversity and inclusivity ends at age 50.

The Wealth Gap: Who Really Holds the Power?

While marketers scramble to win the hearts of Gen Z, they’re largely overlooking older generations who hold the purse strings:

• Baby Boomers (1945–1965) and Gen X (1965–1981) control over 50% of global wealth (Credit Suisse).
• These groups account for 65% of global luxury purchases (Bain).
• 60% of Boomers and 75% of Gen X shop online monthly (Statista).

With this kind of buying power, why do these consumers feel undervalued?

It’s even more perplexing when you consider that a recent survey by US bank Wells Fargo found that over one-third of Millennials admit to exaggerating their wealth to appear more financially successful. More than 40% report using credit cards or loans to maintain a luxurious lifestyle—an approach that isn’t financially sustainable. In contrast, older generations are more cautious: only 28% of Gen Xers and just 6% of Baby Boomers engage in similar behaviour.

Playing the Long Game — At What Cost?

Brands may think they’re building for the future by focusing on Gen Z. And yes, this generation's purchasing power will grow. But here’s the irony: as they age, their preferences will evolve.

You don’t drink the same wine at 50 as you did at 25. You’re not wearing the same fragrance or driving the same car. Yes, certain influences stay with you for life, and as we see time and again in fashion, trends that once seemed dead tend to resurface, only to fade again. But when established brands chase youthful tastes too aggressively, especially those positioned at the top of their category, they risk diluting their identity and gradually losing authority.

Not long ago, the industry widely promoted the union of street and high fashion. Street brought culture and edge, while luxury maintained the premium price point. It seemed like the perfect formula: higher margins, greater volume. But now, that short-sighted strategy is beginning to show its limits.

Who is the benchmark? There aren’t many. Hermès, for example, masterfully balances timeless quality and craftsmanship with a playful, contemporary voice that resonates across generations. The brand is a leader in the luxury industry and it is aspirational.

A Culture Obsessed with Youth

Our society prioritizes youth and beauty over age and experience. But dismissing older consumers is not only shortsighted, it's bad business. Gen X is recognized as having the highest brand loyalty amongst all generations. Often called the "sandwich generation," they are spending on themselves, their children, and aging parents. And guess who raised Gen Z? Gen X.

A Lesson from the Perfume Counter

Let’s look at a surprising trend: fragrance consumption is booming, with global double-digit growth. One unlikely driver? Teenage boys.

It is astounding to see groups of these young men come into perfumeries where they spend hours testing, smelling and talking about scent with their peers. Somehow, they are buying fragrances which cost upwards of 200€ - perhaps Daddy Gen X is giving them the pocket money?

In their tribe of “if you know, you know”, high end scents lend them caché, confidence and status while also being a means of asserting their individuality. This movement bodes particularly well for niche and artistic fragrance. Fragrance is a source of self-expression and choosing a scent from a more exclusive, indie brand reduces the chance of someone else wearing the same thing.

While this youthful enthusiasm is great for sales, brands should tread carefully. Daddy Gen X and Son Gen Z are probably not going to want to wear the same scent. Aligning too closely with Gen Z can risk alienating older audiences.

The Drunk Elephant Effect

Drunk Elephant is a cautionary tale. Once a cult favorite among Millennials and young Gen-Xers for its clean and effective skincare, the brand lost its luster after becoming popular with tweens. Attracted by the vibrant packaging and bestseller status at Sephora, the young, trend-chasing audience flocked to the brand around 2023.

But this shift alienated its core adult consumers, who started to view the brand as too juvenile. As a result, after years of strong growth, the brand’s parent company, Shiseido, reported a 65% decline in Q1 2025. Though the brand never targeted tweens directly, the association with younger users – especially via Tik Tok alone - damaged its credibility with older shoppers.

The result? A sharp decline in loyalty from the audience that once made it successful.

Gucci followed a similar trajectory. Under Frida Giannini, the brand returned to its archives and rediscovered its grandeur. It felt authoritative again—modern, but rooted in heritage. Then came Alessandro Michele, who shifted the focus entirely. The brand became eccentric, more juvenile, and increasingly centered around his own vision. For years, it worked. Gucci sold Mickey Mouse t-shirts and sneakers for thousands of euros, and the world bought in. But trends move fast, and what felt fresh soon started to feel indulgent. In the first quarter of 2025, Gucci’s revenue dropped by 25 percent, with wholesale falling by a third. Kering’s latest figures confirm what many in the industry suspected: the formula that once seemed unstoppable is losing its grip.

The Longevity Revolution

Today, "longevity" refers not just to living longer, but to living well. Health span is the new buzzword, and older consumers are active, engaged, and eager to invest in themselves. Consequently, since they will actively consume for a long period of time, it behooves brands to build long term relationships with the “Silver Generation”.

If brands want to enjoy their own longevity, they need to market across generations. Not paying attention to affluent, loyal demographics is a risky path to early obsolescence.

It’s not a stretch of imagination to say that 60, today, is the new 50 (and for some people, the new 40). But what happens when 80 is the new 50 and 50 is the new 30? If you follow longevity and technology experts like David Sinclair, Valter Longo, Peter Diamandis, or Calum Chace, just to mention a few, it becomes clear we are entering a new phase. Artificial intelligence is accelerating scientific discovery at a rate no human generation has ever witnessed.

As NVIDIA’s Jensen Huang recently said, “This technology is progressing at exponential Moore’s law.” We are entering a phase in which a century’s worth of scientific discovery may happen in a decade. In some cases, even less. Drug development, disease prevention, and the very idea of aging are being redefined before our eyes. Peter Diamandis speaks of longevity escape velocity, a point where science adds more than a year of life for every year that passes. Whether or not we reach that point soon, one thing is certain: the silver economy is rising.

For many businesses, and for many people, this is a massive opportunity. For us in the luxury industry, not asking ourselves the inverted question “what would I do if I wanted to miss this entirely?” might be a deadly mistake.

Brand Wisdom: Learning from the Greats

One of the assets of heritage brands is that they have an archive from which they can draw for inspiration and reinvention. But in doing so, there needs to be a balance between wooing a trend obsessed consumer and pleasing a traditional customer.

Think back to Chanel during the Karl Lagerfeld years. His designs brought whimsy and freshness without sacrificing elegance. Who could forget the Chanel surfboard? It was original, aspirational, and memorable — a perfect example of cross-generational appeal. Yet today, Chanel is facing a reality check. Its annual revenues dropped for the first time since 2020, sliding 4.3 percent to $18.7 billion last year, the French couture and beauty giant reported recently. The company blamed external pressures, but the slowdown also reveals internal tension: rapid price hikes on leather goods, growing customer fatigue, and a perception that the brand’s value is not evolving fast enough in step with its pricing. It’s a reminder that even the most admired brands must stay grounded in the fundamentals—quality, consistency, and relevance across generations.

Final Thought: Speak to Who Matters

Generational Marketing pioneer Ann Fishman once said:

“Look at who your customers are (or should be), and then develop campaigns and messaging strategies that are more likely to reach and resonate with your audience.”

That advice is more relevant than ever. In today’s fragmented landscape, brands that succeed won’t be those who chase the latest trend — they’ll be the ones who understand their full audience and speak to them with clarity, respect, and intention.