For millennials, a trip to Claire’s was practically a rite of passage.
It was a place where ears were pierced, friendship necklaces were split in half, and every trip to the mall ended up with a shiny accessory in your hand that you probably didn’t need, but you absolutely had to have. Long before “Girlhood” became an internet buzzword, Claire’s had already built an empire around it.
But nostalgia alone will not be enough to sustain retailers in 2026.
After years of financial hardship, changing shopping habits, and the slow decline of American shopping malls, Claire’s has spent the past few years redefining itself for a generation more likely to spend time with friends on Roblox than at the mall. Its newest customers aren’t millennials looking for their nostalgia fix. She is a Gen Alpha who discovered the brand through YouTube, social media, and online gaming platforms.
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That strategy was on full display at this year’s VidCon, where Claire’s announced its latest collaboration with Roblox YouTuber Lana’s Life, which just launched in stores nationwide. This collection is inspired by the popular game “Dress To Impress” and is more than just a creator goods drop. It’s part of a broader effort by chief brand officer Michelle Goad to position Claire’s as “an inspiring playground for modern girlhood.”
“I feel like girls are in such a rush to grow up,” Gord told Mashable at the convention. “Because they have access to everything on social. They see adult women in their algorithms, and they feel a sense of urgency to grow up faster. We took a countercultural position and said, ‘We’re actually going to take a beat and cherish girlhood.'”
For Claire, it starts with understanding how Generation Alpha is different from the generations before it. While Gen Z has embraced loud colors, edgier aesthetics and more maximalism, today’s teenage shoppers are clearly drawn to softer items, Gord says.
“They’re really feminine,” she said. “They like a very pastel aesthetic.”
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She believes part of that change is due to growing up with Millennial parents. “If your mom was in beige, your daughter is probably into something really girly,” she joked.
That insight has shaped everything from Claire’s product planning to the creators she works with.
Rather than signing a traditional celebrity ambassador, the company focused on the life of Lana, whose 9.5 million subscribers get to know her through Roblox’s role-play videos, beauty content, and Dress To Impress. Claire’s was already seeing strong demand for Dress To Impress-inspired products in-store. Gord said Lana was the obvious person who helped draw the audience into the physical world.
The decision reflects a broader shift in thinking about brand influence. “This consumer wants two-way conversations and real relationships with the community,” Goad said. “You want to be a fan of someone who’s actually been there and shown up in the comments and doing the work.”
Claire’s debuted its Lana’s Life collaboration at VidCon 2026.
Credit: Provided by Claire’s
For Generation Alpha, creators often feel more relatable than celebrities. They exist in comment sections, livestreams, and community posts in a way that movie stars and musicians rarely do. And that trust and connection matter more than traditional celebrity endorsements. With millions of followers, Lana offers both the scale of a celebrity and the intimacy of a creator, which is exactly the combination Claire’s is betting on.
The collaboration itself was designed to blur the lines between digital and physical play. Fans who visit Claire’s booth at VidCon can test products before they arrive in store, meet Lana in person, and purchase items that unlock digital perks within Roblox.
This feedback loop is central to the way Claire’s currently operates. Gord said the company is looking at what young girls are actually saying online and acting quickly, rather than just relying on trend predictions months in advance. Internally, she describes this strategy as “on-trend, on-time.”
Whether it’s the rise of Squeeze, Dress to Impress, the resurgence of Hacky Sack for a new generation, or another Internet craze waiting around the corner, Claire’s is increasingly treating the Gen Alpha community as its own research arm.
“I think our job is to listen,” Gord said. “What are they saying in the comments? What are they looking for? What are they excited about?”
It’s a remarkable evolution for a retailer that was once synonymous with mall culture. The company says it is rebuilding its brand around young shoppers’ vision, rather than asking them to fit into Claire’s.
For a generation that has grown up almost entirely online, Gord hopes Claire’s can offer something increasingly rare: a place where girlhood isn’t something to be rushed through, but a place worth celebrating, whether it’s in a Roblox game, on social media or in one of its stores.