2025 Trends Wrapped

With 2025 in the rearview mirror, we can take a look back at the trends and give our thoughts on what they really felt like—without being clouded by the hype of the moment. This year was not much for subtlety, and nor were its trends. Everything from how we communicate to how much we communicate was big, bold, and outrageous.

On the other hand, some of the most unforgettable trends were also genuinely clever. Here’s a look back at some of the most memorable 2025 trends wrapped. 

Hollywood Clones

While AI-generated influencers have been around for a minute now, in 2025 real celebrities licensed AI versions of themselves. Stars like Matthew McConaughey can be found on ElevenReader, which also offers synthetic performers through historical and archival audio. Some voices include Liza Minnelli, Art Garfunkel, Maya Angelou, and even Thomas Edison. Despite the ongoing ethical debate, millions of users across multiple platforms continue to sign up to engage with AI likenesses of famous individuals. 

Phone-Free Friends

It used to feel handy to be ever-accessible thanks to technology but, these days, people are burned out. Some have gone to extremes to become less reachable by getting secondary phones or even hiding their messaging apps. Having a private number became part of the trend so that individuals could enforce some boundaries to separate their work or dating lives without constant interruptions. Tools like Hushed are giving people that low-key line when they need separation (without explanation or justification).

Corecore vs Aesthetics

Some folks in 2025 were starting to hit aesthetic fatigue. TikTok and Instagram trends shifted from chasing “Clean Gril” or “Cottagecore” to “Corecore,” which is a chaotic mashup of random influences with a desperate goal to simply feel something. More of an anti-trend than a trend itself, Corecore was embraced as a comfort vibe for Gen Z and Gen Alpha. 

Digital Passports 

Much in line with other shifts towards a fully digital existence, 2025 saw us ditching physical documents for government-backed digital passports. Often paired with biometric airport lanes and face-ID travel check-ins, all you need to do is charge your phone and you’re ready for a trip abroad. 

Anti-Influencing and De-Influencing

More than a trend, de-influencing is the movement that no one predicted. Consumers became more savvy and creators followed their lead by calling out overhyped products and fake sponsorships.  “Don’t Waste Your Money” lists are highly popular as everyone pays closer attention to where their money or social currency is being spent. 

Disappearing Everything

Everyone is conscious about leaving less of a digital footprint. Texts can be set to auto-vanish and social media burner or sock accounts are the norm. Even Spotify jumped in to offer Flay Playlists that feature songs that existed for but a single stream. It seems to be a direct reaction to the over-documentation of life in previous years.

Dating Returns to IRL

Our fingers (and hearts) are tired of swiping in the search for love. Singles in 2025 ditched dating apps in favour of a return to real-life meet-cutes. Some folks have even reintroduced contact cards or scannable QR codes to pass to potential romantic connections. Flirtatious “text me” cards garnered more interest than another exhausting and predictable app bio on yet another dating app.