2026’s IN & OUT: How Influence Elevates Lifestyle Trends

We’d be remiss to start 2026 without our predictions for lifestyle and media trends for the year. While most of 2025 was an amplification or completion of the evolution started in 2026, the golden thread of the most notable trends of the new year is aligned with lifestyle optimisation. 2026 is going to be the year in which we take a step back and redefine leisure and purpose outside of the default.

Defining the Lifestyle of 2026

2026 is set to be a year of intentional living, where experiences, wellness, and personal taste take center stage. From travel to media habits, the most influential people are reshaping their lives with purpose and style

IN

Trip stacking: Planning curated travel and experiences for richer living.

People who prioritize leisure are already prospecting their March to May and September getaways. Global trends indicate an insatiable desire for travel and experiences over possessions, with young people especially viewing experiences as an investment in a richer future. This practice will also lead in business travel, where optimized itineraries are said to boost productivity and employee wellness.

Health optimisation: Wellness and movement as markers of modern status.

Padel, Hyrox, and Pilates will continue to find their spot under the sun, but the larger conversation is that health is another non-material indicator of an upwardly mobile lifestyle. Don’t quote us yet, but calisthenics might finally break South African shores in 2026.

Craft over Hype: True luxury rooted in quality, materials, and legacy.

True luxury lies in craftsmanship, material, and legacy. During challenging economic times, discerning consumers will continue to seek out purchases that will stand the test of time, demonstrating the enduring impact of luxury in our lives.

Slow Media: Embracing long-form content and mindful media consumption.

After a tumultuous two years marked by alleged platform censorship, regional conflicts, ownership changes, and other events in social media, fatigue from overconsumption of bite-sized media has firmly settled in, and people are opting for longer-form media. The rise of Substack in a post-Tumblr world heralds the possible end of doom-scrolling, which is a positive sign.

OUT

Trend-Chasing: Moving away from fleeting trends to personal taste.

It was difficult to tell where the 2020s were taking us in terms of personal style and aesthetics, with some calling it a “stylistic black hole”, where the desperation to “keywordify” personal style has seemingly chased discerning consumers away. In a bygone time, being on trend was a marker of upward mobility and access, but now the ability to define your personal taste independently will make a bolder statement. 2026 will be the year of distinguishing your lifestyle in intangible ways, and personal taste is the highest form thereof.

Minimalism: Interiors shifting from restraint to vibrant, lived-in opulence.

After a decade-long stronghold, Scandinavian minimalism and millennial grey are finally stepping aside for a new era of home décor. Empty spaces are being filled with colour, texture and tasteful clutter. The long-overdue departure of minimalism makes way for a new era of opulence, as people use their spaces to showcase the fullness and vibrance of a life lived, and not simply curated. This is the ultimate luxury.

Always-Online Lives: Prioritising privacy and balance in digital presence.

2026 started with an alarming occurrence of X users utilising its AI tool, Grok, to edit images of real people without consent. Unfortunately, this involved undressing the subject and other suggestive prompts, targeted mostly at adult women and minors. This amplified the urgent need for internet safety, data protection, and a general sense of privacy online. For the sake of safety, but also to live a more balanced life, we project that 2026 will be the year in which people become more discerning about how available they are online. Digital will always drive content consumption, and that is not projected to change, but content creation will look a little different this year.

Algorithm Dependency – Reclaiming human agency over digital algorithms.

Much like the decline of defined trends and minimalism, the algorithm that has sustained cultural trends and offline conversations will take a back seat to real human interests and behaviour. 2026 will be the year of carving out a meaningful life offline, which will impact what life looks like online. We welcome a world in which we train the algorithm, and the algorithm does not train us. It has been the latter for too long without anyone realising it.

The Ultimate Luxury in 2026

As we kick off 2026, the common thread will be intentionality. People looking to elevate their lives are no longer chasing visibility and validation. We are moving into an era of the individual, in the best way possible. The ultimate luxury is owning your own voice, time, and lifestyle.