Last month, graduate students from the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) master’s program in Cosmetics and Fragrance Marketing and Management’s (CFMM) Class of 2025 delivered their capstone presentation. Entitled Beauty’s Next Frontier: Unlocking the Future of Beauty, the research examined the forces shaping tomorrow’s trends and strategies. Students redefined beauty at the intersection of health, science and technology. They provided recommendations for brands and organizations to navigate the evolving landscape.

Professor Stephan Kanlian leads the CFMM program, which is celebrating 25 years. Kanlian acknowledged the work of the graduates and thanked sponsor, Cosmoprof, for its support of the event. The evening was notable for its thorough exploration of what it means to look and feel your best at the convergence of medicine, wellness and technology. The program paid tribute to an industry legend, too.

This year’s program included a dedication to Leonard Lauder, stating, “On the occasion of the 25^th anniversary of the master’s program launch, the faculty, alumni, students, and staff wish to dedicate tonight’s capstone to the visionary behind what has become the industry’s think tank, Leonard A. Lauder, chairman emeritus, The Estée Lauder Companies, Inc.”

The dedication acknowledged Lauder’s “extraordinary legacy, including his vision for a ‘homegrown option’ to train top talent in the beauty sector, which aligned with his favorite role within the Estée Lauder organization, that of “Chief Teaching Officer.” Kanlian called Lauder, “the brainchild of this program” and said, “Let’s go out and make Leonard proud.”

In introducing FIT President Dr. Joyce F. Brown, Kanlian remarked that Brown opened the past 24 capstones and had hired him 25 years ago. A video illustrating her participation in and support of the CFMM program was shown, followed by a welcome from Brown, who is stepping down as president. She shared gratitude and recollections, noting the growth of the program and its dedication to scholarship and community.

 “It has been quite a journey. We now have over 500 graduates,” she noted.

Brown thanked Kanlian, students, faculty and program partners, and saved a special thank you to Leonard Lauder for his vision.

“He was a joyful presence in my life, as generous in spirit as he was in supporting important causes,” said Brown.

She acknowledged the transformational forces shaping the beauty industry today, and the efforts of the graduates, whose research studies took them from Mumbai to Helsinki to Latin America.

“The research conducted by our talented graduates each year has become a significant resource for the beauty industry. We are so proud that it is incorporated into the strategy and marketing plans that fuel the next breakthroughs in industry developments,” said Dr. Brown.

FIT opened a beauty center during the past year. Kanlian credited the strength of this year’s research to the original quantitative research and focus group work conducted at the center.

“In its first year, The Beauty Center has quickly become a dynamic hub for research,” he noted.

It enabled FIT to share student research projects with industry, engage with alumni and host industry events.

“We also opened residencies for entrepreneurs and research experts, and built a podcast studio sharing ideas,” Kanlian added.

Liza Rapay, VP/Head of Cosmoprof North America and founder, Beauty New York, Informa, Inc., also congratulated the 2025 graduates, noting her role as a previous graduate of the program. Cosmoprof is a CFMM sponsor. Rapay said Milan’s Fashion Week inspired her to create a “Fashion Week for Beauty,” which manifested in Beauty New York.

“Beauty isn’t frivolous, it’s powerful,” said Rapay, “and the class of 2025 will take what’s been built and make it better. The beauty industry is ready, the world is ready, and it needs you.”

This year’s awards honored the following:

– Alejandra Espinosa, 360 Marketing Director, Killian Paris and Editions de Parfum Frédéric Malle/The Estée Lauder Companies Inc.

– Kathryn Wanner, Commercial Sales, International Flavors & Fragrances Inc (IFF)

– Bari Blitzer, Senior Marketing Manager, Ralph Lauren Fragrances/L’Oréal USA

– NY Lovers – Duygu Celebi, Shannon Hickey, Frederick Kim, Yeon Jung Roh, Juliana Rodrigues

– Emmie Salaj, Global General Manager, Tory Burch Beauty/Chief Operating Officer Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare, Shiseido Americas (Class of 2009)

– Mark Polson, Adjunct Assistant Professor, Cosmetics and Fragrance Marketing and Management MPS, Cosmetics and Fragrance Marketing and Management, Fashion Institute of Technology; Bachelor of Industrial Design, Syracuse University, Former Vice President, Fast to Action and Design Thinking, The Estée Lauder Companies Inc.

– Joshua Josevski, AVP Marketing, La Roche-Posay/L’Oréal USA

The 2025 Capstone, Beauty’s Next Frontier, unveiled three specific areas shaping tomorrow’s beauty landscape:

1. , an exploration of the generational shifts challenging norms around identity and self-expression;

2. , exploring the creative and operational disruption driven by AI; and

3. , entailing a convergence of aesthetics and wellness. Together, they represent an evolutionary change, inspiring brands to adapt, innovate and lead in an evolving landscape.

Generation Alpha (ages 1-15) is 2.8 billion strong. Students explored the growth of “VirtuReal” space, where digital discovery enables real purchase. Facility in this space would enable brands to refresh products as young people in this cohort experience biological changes in their consumer journeys. Student research revealed that this generation is entering the beauty category as early as age six and has $28 billion in direct spending power (Anticipating Generation Alpha, Numerator, 2024). Raised on TikTok and Zoom calls, they are positioning themselves as household influencers and future high-value customers. Members of this generation are the first true “Beauty Natives,” according to Capstone research, with the ability to reshape traditional life-stage marketing.

Born into beauty, they learn at an early age to “add to cart,” and their brand favorites change rapidly. This cohort engages with their communities via technology, makes purchases virtually, and seeks experiential shopping in store. In fact, 68% own a prestige beauty item by the age of 10! Capstone findings further revealed that 66% of Gen Alpha customers discover beauty products through digital channels; 52% learn about them through YouTube and 84% try digitally before they buy. Citing Fenty Beauty as an example of digital outreach, students said Fenty’s presence on Roblox (a digital site which integrates e-commerce features), generated the sale of 300,000 virtual units in one week. A 70% year-over-year increase in Gen Alpha’s beauty spending in 2024, signals early adoption and the “longest customer relationship opportunity in beauty history.”

The behaviors and values of Gen Alpha showed how the collapse of the physical-digital divide is giving rise to “VirtuReal” consumer journeys. VirtuReal digital discovery drives real purchases, and students cited opportunities for brands to navigate this emerging space by meeting consumers where they are and growing with them, refreshing products as cohort members age, and maintaining agility with innovation, authenticity and responsibility. Students cited the Lego brand, which continually refreshes its offerings with an age-spanning strategy.

“By meeting each cohort, Lego converts into lifelong advocacy. This ability to enable self-expression shows Gen Alpha’s desire for belonging, with a strategy to create products kids crave and parents trust,” said presenters. Finally, “Staying relevant and building authentic loyalty enables long-term success. Brands must consider that this generation values transparency and participation,” they said, concluding, “Brands that implement this framework today will win Gen Alpha and cultivate the insights and agility that Generation Beta, born in 2025, will treat as table stakes.”

The students said Artificial Intelligence is shaking up the beauty industry. Backed by 50+ executive interviews, proprietary consumer research and cross-industry case studies, the research shows why AI is not just a tool, but a new infrastructure for innovation. It is powerful, but not all positive. It comes with bias, inevitably, as it is drawn from sources which are not entirely objective; and it generates deep fakes, often indistinguishable from reality.

Despite the risks, usage is growing. From real-time formulation and marketing to agentic systems that operate independently, AI is accelerating how brands create, communicate and connect. Capstone research estimates that 5.3 billion visits with Chat GPT in 2024. And while 40% of the population thinks they are using AI, the percentage is 80%. Clearly, it is more embedded in consumer routines than anyone realizes.

Consumers use it for personalized recommendations, Amazon uses it to anticipate your next order, and AI-generated products are proliferating. Student research revealed that 68% of those surveyed say they trust AI claims more than traditional marketing claims. No surprise that consumer brands are not waiting for permission to use AI. Front runners are learning the best ways to use it, deploy it effectively, and future proof their strategies. Based on their research, students advised brands “to close the fluency gap,” show their teams how to use it, and consider AI as a partner. During the next 10 years, AI will “take the wheel,” impacting cognitive tasks and creating an entrepreneurial renaissance.

Further, they acknowledged that AI would rewrite the tools in a fraction of the time of traditional incubators and create new business models. This inherent speed will impact formulations. What once took a year to create, will now take a weekend. Jobs will shift and roles will evolve. The students urged brands to consider the new AI blueprint, master fluency and “future proof” teams to move with it.

“The brands that will win aren’t those with the best five-year roadmap, they are the ones taking action now,” they added.

The Medicalization of Beauty highlighted consumers’ drive to invest in health through preventative care, clinical innovation and personalized wellness strategies. This “longevity journey” goes beyond aesthetics and intersects with medicine and science-backed solutions. Students posited that people today feel 20% younger than their real age and preventative solutions are on the rise (Rubin, DC, Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 2006).

“Your chronological age is the age you are; your wellness is a determining factor in the age you feel,” they stated.

According to their findings, 52% of consumers express optimism about their future health (Euromonitor, 2025). They seek clinical solutions supporting beauty redefinition as a tool for long-term well-being. Citing Vogue Business (Scott, N., April 14, 2025, DNA-coded skincare, wearable nanobots: The Beauty Products of Tomorrow), presenters insisted 68% of consumers would consider using a product that worked at the genetic level to deliver lasting results. That underscores a shift from reactive treatments to proactive ones. Brands can lead this shift, they contended, by building medicalized ecosystems rooted in product innovation and retail strategy, as consumers increasingly turn to medical interventions to impact their longevity. They noted a clear shift from clean to clinical in brand positioning and perception; the term “clean” has lost its credibility.

Their research suggested the inclusion of clinical personnel in product development, noting that there will be a convergence of aesthetics and medicine, a continuing mind-body alignment model, and the necessity of brands to provide education on the role of biology in beauty. Further, they noted consumer desire for clinical aesthetics, emphasizing the importance of creating packaging that projects precision and performance. This will be an important bridge between product and efficacy.

“The future of beauty requires the building of an eco-system, including clinical people. You can’t drive credibility without collaboration This requires training and education,” they said.

Students posited the growth of omni-intentional beauty entrepreneurs. They will deliver personalized solutions, which may include connective devices that will skin type issues with biological precision, ultimately moving from diagnostics to treatment and product selection.

It is a complex future, indeed. The next era of beauty will be preventive, personalized and built to enhance how we look and live. Successful brands must engage in the medicalized beauty space, create strategic portfolio management and integrate beauty as a biological expression, to play a role in consumers’ lifelong wellness journey.

The themes explored by the 2025 research represent beauty’s evolution. Together, they illustrate ways for brands to adapt, innovate and lead in a rapidly transforming landscape. Dr. Brooke Carlson, interim dean, School of Graduate Studies, FIT, said this year’s Capstone research truly pushed boundaries by offering transformational imperatives for the beauty industry.

“The students’ recommendations reflect extensive research with currency and a deep understanding of how consumer trends, AI and demographics will shape the future of the industry,” she concluded.