Gen Z Daters Are Ditching Labels, Says Hinge
& Hailey Bieber’s $1 billion Rhode deal Shows Gen Z women know their worth 💋
Gen Z daters are rejecting labels, according to new findings from Hinge Labs. The third in a series, the 2025 LGBTQIA + D.A.T.E (Data, Advice, Trends and Expertise) Report found that LGBTQ+ daters, especially the youngest ones, are facing “label fatigue” and don’t want to feel boxed in by monikers or preset categories.
In listening sessions with young people over the past few years, I’ve seen how this generation is eager to buck free from rigid definitions, not just when it comes to politics – but across every part of their identity. And Gallup data from this year shows that “more than one in five Gen Z adults” identify as LGBTQ+, so we’re talking about a significant chunk of the Gen Z population.
According to Hinge Labs, Gen Z LGBTQIA+ daters are:
39% more likely than millennials “to have rethought their sexuality label after an unexpected spark”
“21% more likely to date across a range of gender expressions”
“22% more likely to be open to a sexual encounter outside their typical gender preference”
So, what? By rejecting traditional identity boxes, Gen Z shows their agency. The same forces that are reshaping how they date are showing up in how they shop, vote, and express themselves online.
In other news…
Hailey Bieber’s $1 billion Rhode deal is peak Gen Z energy
“I just want to continue being a force in the space globally,” Bieber said.
Hailey Bieber broke the internet yesterday with news that she is selling Rhode to e.l.f. Beauty in a deal valued at $1 billion, just as the brand confirmed it would be sold in Sephora starting this fall.
Since launching Rhode in 2022, Bieber has built more than a beauty brand. She’s cultivated an identity. Gen Z fans swear by her cult-favorite lip peptide treatment and its matching phone case, and are the brand’s biggest consumer base, according to a 2023 Vogue Business report.
Demonstrating its current power, the brand has doubled its consumer base in the past year alone. According to e.l.f.’s CEO Tarang Amin, he was intrigued by how Rhode quickly disrupted the beauty industry. “I’ve been in the consumer space 34 years, and I’ve been blown away by seeing this brand over time. In less than three years, they’ve gone from zero to $212 million in net sales, direct-to-consumer only, with only 10 products. I didn’t think that was possible,” he told CNBC in an interview.
Bieber herself plans to stay involved, taking on a bigger role at both Rhode and e.l.f. “I just want to continue being a force in the space globally,” she said.
So, what? The model, influencer, and entrepreneur has shown the power of celebrity-backed branding, especially with Gen Z consumers. And make no mistake about it, the success is in the influencing.
A 2024 Intersect survey of Gen Zers found that 86% were drawn to Rhode for its “branding and marketing.”
Rhode not only created its simple yet iconic lip peptide treatment with a distinct shape. But there’s something else at play here. The beauty brand with Bieber at the helm leveled that up a notch by designing a phone case to match, used by Bieber herself, that allows young women around the world to recreate her aesthetic and snap a photo for all their followers to see along the way.
At a time when the internet shifted to favor a no-make up make-up aesthetic, Bieber leaned into and became a ‘clean girl’ icon that Gen Z knows and loves. Her hands-on involvement, direction, and outward display of affection for her own products have served Rhode well, especially among younger consumers who overall want to feel a connection to the products they purchase. While other beauty brands certainly achieve success on their own, there’s no denying that Bieber’s touch has made Rhode what it is and adds an allure to the product.
Bieber knew the vibe her consumers wanted and built a business around it. She’s now founder of a billion-dollar company with a loyal Gen Z base who see themselves in her brand. And for all the hand-wringing about Gen Z's disinterest in institutions, here’s what they are buying into: Bieber’s authenticity, aesthetic, and yes, her lip peptide treatment.
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Noteworthy reads
Are Gen-Z Republicans a Blip or a Trend?, Ed Kilgore for New York Magazine
Nespresso Lightens Up Its Marketing to Win Gen Z’s Cold Coffee Drinkers, Katie Deighton for The Wall Street Journal
How should brands navigate Gen Z’s economic nihilism?, Amy Francombe for Vogue Business