How a Once-Overlooked Generation Became Luxury's Most Influential Consumer Group

Luxury is going through one of its most significant changes as a global industry right now. In fashion weeks, beauty campaigns, hospitality experiences, and the international art circuit, brands are learning a new truth: the luxury consumer is not a single type of person, but a mix of generations with different expectations, buying habits, and cultural codes.

One group of people, all interested in the same thing, has become the quiet but undeniable center of gravity: the Gen X consumer. Vogue Business (2025) recently reported on something many brands have known privately for years: despite younger generations' online chatter, the economic power remains largely in the hands of those born between the mid-1960s and early 1980s. Recognizing their influence helps brands prioritize this group's significance.

Luxury marketing these days isn't about going after the loudest generation. It's about knowing the one who moves with purpose.

Image Credit: Getty Images / Filippo Fior / Artwork: Vogue Business (2025).

Getting to Know Luxury From the Point of View of an Older Consumer

Generation X is now in its peak earning years, a time in life when they are stable, have a senior position in their career, have traveled the world, and have developed their own tastes. Gen X has already formed their identity, unlike younger consumers who are still trying out different ones. This security shows in their spending. They are the kind of people who value craftsmanship over novelty, heritage over hype, and privacy over spectacle. Their connection to luxury comes from emotional memories and lived experiences, like the time of supermodels, the golden age of 90s minimalism, the rise of famous maisons, and the change of fashion into culture.

This is the generation that knew what luxury was like before it went digital, but they have also adjusted well to the new hybrid era. They changed from the glamorous world of analog to the early days of the internet and finally to the high-tech world we live in now. Because of this, their expectations are complicated and layered. Luxury brands need to give them both the tradition they admire and the new ideas that show they are smart.

Why it's more important than ever to understand generations

Segmentation is crucial in luxury marketing because it allows brands to navigate the complex market landscape of 2025, where multiple generations-Gen Z, Millennials, Boomers, and Gen X- shape consumer behavior and brand success. Luxury brands send the wrong messages and make bad investments when they don’t understand their audience. But when they know how each generation thinks, what makes them loyal, and how they see value, they can figure out how to grow luxury in a way that lasts.

Gen X has a different emotional range than Gen Z or Millennials. They like things that are classic and elegant, not ironic or too digital. They like the ease of digital services, but they want to talk to a real person. They keep up with what’s popular, but only in their own, curated, sophisticated way. They want sustainability, but not in a showy way. They like new styles but want the same level of craftsmanship as before.

This generation is not looking for its identity. It is a generation looking for resonance.

The New Trends in Luxury Marketing and Management

As we move into the middle of the 2020s, luxury management needs a much more nuanced understanding of how to create value. In the past, luxury was defined by the object itself. Now, it is determined by the environment that surrounds it. Gen X, in particular, looks at a brand not just by its product, but also by its consistency, history, customer service, emotional intelligence, and reliability over time.

To retain Gen X, brands must craft stories that blend craftsmanship with modernity, emphasizing quality and offering a personalized shopping experience that resonates with their values and past experiences. This group is significant because it has two sides: it is rooted in tradition but open to new ideas. They don't like things that are too flashy, but they do like culturally relevant things. They don't follow trends; they only choose them if they fit with how they see themselves. This creates a refined yet demanding consumer profile that pushes luxury brands to refine their creative and operational strategies.

A Generation That Still Influences Global Cultural Capital

One thing that people don't talk about enough about Gen X is that they are still in charge of cultural influence. This generation includes many of the world's most important actors, designers, musicians, directors, and businesspeople. Their tastes still affect award shows, red carpets, editorial shoots, and the fashion world as a whole. The rise of "quiet luxury" is really a Gen X movement. It's a return to understated excellence, not driven by TikTok but by a generation that has always valued subtlety over spectacle.

As the luxury industry evolves, it becomes clearer that brands can't rely solely on hype from young people. Digital virality may generate a lot of noise. Still, the customers who return season after season with loyalty, confidence, and money are what make a business profitable in the long run.

Gen X doesn't ask for attention, but they do deserve it. Their power is quiet but intense, their influence is private but essential to the economy, and their impact is understated but long-lasting in culture. Brands that understand how deeply this generation connects with luxury will do well not just in 2025 but also in the next ten years.

Arman POUREISA

Marketing Manager

Raffles Indonesia

References

Vogue Business. (2025). Gen X is quietly dominating luxury. Here’s how to approach them. https://www.vogue.com/article/gen-x-is-quietly-dominating-luxury-heres-how-to-approach-them

Vogue Business. (2025). A generational breakdown: Understanding the Gen X consumer. https://www.vogue.com/article/generational-breakdown-understanding-the-gen-x-consumer

McKinsey & Company. (2025). The State of Fashion 2025. https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/retail/our-insights/state-of-fashion

Bain & Company. (2025). Luxury Goods Worldwide Market Study – 2025 Update. https://www.bain.com/insights

Deloitte. (2025). Global Powers of Luxury Goods 2025. https://www2.deloitte.com

Euromonitor International. (2025). Luxury Goods Global Report 2025. https://www.euromonitor.com

WARC. (2025). Luxury Marketing Trends Report 2025. https://www.warc.com

The Business of Fashion. (2025). How luxury consumers are evolving in 2025. https://www.businessoffashion.com

KPMG. (2025). Global Consumer & Retail Outlook 2025. https://home.kpmg

Harper’s Bazaar. (2025). Why Gen X continues to drive luxury’s most stable growth. https://www.harpersbazaar.com

LVMH Insights. (2025). Behavioural shifts among premium consumers in 2025. https://www.lvmh.com/news-documents