Beauty's Next Frontier: Unlocking the Future of Beauty
The 2025 capstone presentations of "the beauty industry's think tank" feature six months of global research into ways to adapt brands for the future.
The class of 2025's presentations took place on June 25 at 5 pm in the Haft Theater at FIT.
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Research Details
The 2025 capstone, Beauty’s Next Frontiers, explores three transformational forces shaping the future of the beauty industry:
- Medicalization of Beauty
- Artificial Intelligence
- Generation Next
Grounded in six months of comprehensive global research, each capstone presentation
examines how these forces are redefining consumer expectations, industry standards,
and brand behavior. From the convergence of aesthetics and wellness in the medicalization
of beauty, to the creative and operational disruption driven by AI, to generational
shifts that are challenging norms around identity and self-expression, these themes
don’t simply represent change, they represent evolution. Together, they illuminate
strategic pathways for brands to adapt, innovate, and lead in a radically transforming
landscape.
Research Teams
Medicalization of Beauty
As consumers prioritize longevity and proactive wellness, clinically driven solutions are reshaping expectations across the beauty landscape. By examining the convergence of beauty and medicine, this research reveals how brands can lead in a future where health and beauty are inextricably linked.
Gen Beauty
Research shows Generation Alpha is reshaping beauty as the first true "Beauty Natives," engaging as early as age six with $28B in spending power. With rising beauty spend and complex behaviors, Gen Alpha and Gen Beta offer brands the longest, most dynamic customer relationships in beauty history.
Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence is no longer on the horizon, it’s here, and it’s moving faster than most brands can comprehend. Consumers aren’t just curious, they’re demanding smarter, faster, and more personalized experiences—and they’re already using AI to get them. And yet, while usage skyrockets, most brands are still hesitating to take the leap forward with AI adoption.