Heading into 2026, a few brands are already standing out — not just for what they sell, but for how they speak to kids’ values, creativity, and habits.

Every year, Beano Brain dives into the cultural currents shaping Gen Alpha and young Gen Z.

2025 was about aesthetic expression, viral moments, and digital-first experiences. Heading into 2026, a few brands are already standing out — not just for what they sell, but for how they speak to kids’ values, creativity, and habits. Here are three to watch. 

1. Edikted: Fast Fashion for the Social Feed 

Edikted is a digitally native, Gen Z-focused fashion brand that moves at the speed of TikTok. Think streetwear, festival-ready fits, and a heavy dose of Y2K nostalgia - cargo pants, crop tops, mini-skirts - all delivered with lightning-fast trend cycles. 

It’s a bit like Primark meets Zara: small drops, rapid scale-up, and a constant rotation of styles that keep tweens and young teens coming back for more. Most sales happen online via Edikted’s site or through partners like ASOS, with only a handful of physical stores, including New York.  However given the footfall the stores are attracting amongst tweens, their IRL presence must surely grow? 

What makes Edikted cool for tweens and teens? It’s about identity and aesthetics. Kids aren’t just buying clothes, they’re curating their look, building their social persona, and flexing style currency with friends — all in one hoodie or set of cargo pants. In a world where fashion trends flicker by the hour, Edikted is teaching kids the language of style. 

2. Summer Fridays: Skincare as a Mood 

Riding the viral wave of influencer-backed beauty brands, Summer Fridays is the California-born “clean” skincare line made famous by Marianna Hewitt and Lauren Gores Ireland. Products like the Pink Sugar Lip Butter Balms and glowy, hydrating formulas are quickly becoming Gen Alpha staples, and their Instagram-friendly aesthetic ensures every drop is shareable. 

The brand taps into occasions marketing — something Beano Brain has tracked for the last 18 months — turning summer into its own emotional and sensory season. The scents, textures, and rituals evoke lazy summer afternoons, holiday prep, and moments of self-expression. With products that sell out fast and consistently dominate social feeds, Summer Fridays is proof that beauty isn’t just about function; it’s a vehicle for mood, emotion, and social connection. 

Curious about the brands kids were loving in 2025? Check out Beano Brain's Coolest Brands 2025.   

3. Flora: Gamifying Focus 

Amid the screen overload, some brands are helping kids and teens switch off while still feeling connected. Flora, a gamified habit-tracking app, is leading this movement. Users grow virtual trees as they focus, with distractions threatening their digital saplings, while successfully nurtured trees contribute to a virtual garden — and even support real-world tree planting through partners like Trees.org. 

Flora combines social motivation, personal data, and gamification to make time management fun. Friends can join sessions, track their growth, and turn focus into a collaborative game. For students, professionals, and anyone fighting phone distractions, Flora is not just a tool — it’s a mindset shift. It embodies the broader “switch-off” trend among young people, blending personal development, sustainability, and play. 

All three brands are tapping into wider cultural shifts we are seeing within Gen A and Z: the further embedding of Y2K aesthetics, occasion-led mood enhancers and the big switch off.   

If you’re interested in learning more about the Brands to watch in 2026, get in touch with one of our insight team.