Coachella Wasn’t Just Vibes. It Was Data.
From the Ground Up: Next Gen's Cultural Pulse
April marked one year since we launched and in true DANG fashion, we honored the milestone with both momentum and stillness.
We paused. We reflected. We gathered.
Shruti hosted the DANG House sound bath—a space for presence, not performance. Our mentor and board member Jean Batthany shared powerful reflections on The Art of Pause. Ada Nei guided us through immersive sound healing. I led a chakra healing chant ceremony. And together, we remembered why we started.
To mark the moment, I designed a limited-edition DANG shirt—only 50 made. Inspired by my childhood in my uncle’s screen printing studio, it’s not just a drop. It’s a memory in motion.
But celebration quickly gave way to cultural intel gathering. We just returned from Coachella - not just as attendees, but as observers. We listened. We tracked. We decoded the deeper signals beneath the spectacle.
Here’s what we found:
The Dry Wave: Sober-curious energy is transforming social rituals.
ThriftFit Energy: Curated vintage isn’t a look. It’s a statement.
Split-Ticket Society: Buy Now, Pay Later is the new access pass.
We’re turning it all into strategy. And over the next few weeks, you’ll see how we’re using these real-time insights to evolve our approach to brand storytelling, experience design, and cultural immersion.
P.S. This is also our first edition since migrating to Substack, so if things feel a bit unpolished—we’re evolving in real time, too.
Let’s dive in.
CULTURESCOPE: Thrifting Isn’t Just Budget—It’s Identity
At Coachella 2025, one trend stood out across the board: ThriftFit.
Festival-goers weren’t flexing designer labels. They were flexing their ability to remix secondhand finds into something original. From upcycled cargo pants to vintage tees, layered jewelry to broken-in boots—every look told a story. And it wasn’t just about nostalgia—it was about personal authorship.
This wasn’t gendered. It wasn’t polished. It was curated chaos with intention.
Why It Matters:
Because Gen Z sees style as self-definition—and thrift is the new medium.
What Brands Can Learn:
Curation is clout—help your audience tell their own story
Thrift culture isn’t trend-driven—it’s value-driven
Product scarcity should feel serendipitous, not manufactured
Platforms that enable personalization > one-size-fits-all retail
COMMUNITYVIBES: Sober Mornings, Sweat Rituals, and Silent Zones
This year’s Coachella wasn’t just about the lineup. It was about the reset.
From pre-sunrise run clubs to cold plunge stations and quiet recharge corners, Gen Z redefined what it means to gather. Brands like Good Wipes and Plunge built activations that felt less like marketing, more like membership.
Why It Matters:
Because community is now built through recovery—not release.
What Brands Can Learn:
Design IRL spaces for decompression, not disruption
Activate presence, not performance
Swap spectacle for sincerity
Wellness isn’t a vertical—it’s infrastructure
COMMERCELENS: Buy Now, Play Later: Gen Z’s New Credit Culture
With GA ticket prices peaking at $649, Coachella revealed more than music—it revealed money behaviors. BNPL (Buy Now, Pay Later) surged across ticketing, travel, and merch.
It’s not just a workaround. It’s a worldview.
Why It Matters:
Because affordability is the new accessibility.
What Brands Can Learn:
Flexible payment is a creative tool, not a crutch
Normalize affordability without stigma
Educate consumers on finance like you do on fashion
Align checkout design with emotional decision points
INTO THE NEXT-GEN MULTIVERSE
Sustainability Isn’t a Statement. It’s a Standard.
From backstage convos to crowd chats, one thing was clear—Gen Z cares about ethics.
Serena told us she actively chooses brands with clean beauty, reduced packaging, and global awareness.
Kelly broke it down further—it’s not just about claiming inclusivity, it’s about proving it.
Gen Z isn’t scanning for slogans. They’re scanning for signals.
Why It Matters: Because value-aligned brands aren’t the exception. They’re the expectation.
NEXT-GEN CENTRICITY™ NUGGET
Subscriptions Aren’t Just Business. They’re Belonging.
Gen Z doesn’t just pay for access. They pay for alignment.
Inspired by creators, community-led platforms, and membership models, this generation sees subscriptions as social proof. The right structure turns casual users into loyal insiders.
What Brands Can Learn from the Subscription Economy:
Make exclusivity feel earned, not gated
Center experiences over frequency
Elevate your subscribers with status, not stuff
Let your audience help shape the product
Community isn’t built in the comments. It’s built in consistency.
That’s a wrap on this drop from DANG VIEW. Coachella was just the beginning next, we’re decoding how silence, scarcity, and sensory design are shaping the new brand playbook.
Let’s keep building what the next generation actually wants.
Great work. Solid insights. Thanks for writing!