WHO DOES GEN Z TRUST? PACSUN'S PURPOSE SUMMIT EXPLAINS ALL

Not Influencers, Not AI, A New Youth Report Finding On Where Young People Place Their Trust Took Center Stage In Malibu Today

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Pacsun hosted its second annual Purpose Summit today at Soho House's Little Beach House Malibu, bringing together creators, executives, cultural leaders, and young voices across the brand's four founding pillars, fashion, sport, art, and music, for a day of conversation centered on the forces shaping the next generation.

This year's Summit built on findings from Pacsun's newly released 2026 Youth Report, developed with GlobalData, which found that young people place far more trust in family and friends than in influencers or artificial intelligence. The finding became a throughline for conversations throughout the day, raising a larger question for the leaders in the room around how brands and organizations can build genuine relationships with a generation that increasingly values participation, community, and trusted connections.

The day opened not with a keynote but with a guided meditation led by Tai Beauchamp, Founder, Morning Mindset with Tai. From there, conversations moved across creativity and entrepreneurship, technology, community, sport, and self-expression. Speakers included acclaimed fashion designer and creative director Sami Miró, Snapchat's Chief Marketing Officer Grace Kao, Rare Beauty Chief Impact Officer and Rare Impact Fund President Elyse Cohen, Los Angeles Rams Chief Commercial Officer Jennifer Prince, Angel City Football Club CEO Amy Taylor, and VP, Jordan Visioneering & LA28 / Founder and Creative Director, Trillicon Valley Jason Mayden, among others.

The report's central idea, "The Drawbridge Generation," ran through much of the day's conversation. Young people, the report found, are pulling closer to family and friends while becoming more selective about a noisy public world shaped by algorithms and inauthentic messaging. Influencers never break an 11% trust share in any category tested. AI presents an even sharper contrast between adoption and trust. While 85% of young people use it, only 2% trust it for fashion advice and 5% for financial advice. Neil Saunders, Managing Director and Retail Analyst at GlobalData, called it evidence that young people are "becoming more intentional about the relationships, influences and priorities closest to them," even as financial independence slips and social media dependence climbs.

For Pacsun, those findings reinforce an approach the brand has increasingly put into practice through co-creation, bringing young consumers into the conversation rather than simply interpreting youth culture from the outside. The Purpose Summit extends that philosophy by creating a forum where research, lived experience, and perspectives from leaders across culture can inform one another.

"The Purpose Summit gives us an opportunity to take what we're hearing from young people and put it into conversation with the people helping shape the world around them," said Brieane Olson, CEO of Pacsun. "Co-creation starts with listening, but it also means giving people a meaningful role in what comes next. By bringing young voices together with leaders across different industries, we can challenge our own assumptions, learn from one another, and better understand how we can show up for this generation in ways that feel relevant and earned."

That exchange played out across the day's programming, as leaders from industries that intersect in young people's everyday lives explored many of the same questions from distinctly different perspectives.

"What stood out to me about the Purpose Summit is how connected these conversations really are," said Amy Taylor, CEO of Angel City Football Club. "Sport can be an incredibly powerful place for people to find identity, belonging and community, but those ideas extend far beyond the field. Bringing leaders from different corners of culture together with young people themselves creates an opportunity to hear perspectives we might not encounter every day and think differently about the communities we're building for the future."

The Summit also marked the first public appearance of the second cohort of Pacsun's Youth Council, bringing the idea of co-creation directly into the room. The Council gives young consumers an ongoing voice within Pacsun through strategy sessions, workshops, and executive mentorship, creating a direct feedback loop between the brand and the generation it serves. The new cohort was introduced in a session moderated by Kate Nishimura, Deputy Editor at Sourcing Journal, featuring new Youth Council members Sophia Johnson, Iya'Nique Kelly, Max Yu, Ashton Thomas, and Mia Mendoza.

Pacsun also unveiled its inaugural Youth 25™, recognizing 25 creators, artists, athletes, and entrepreneurs shaping the next generation across fashion, art, sport, music, technology, and digital culture. As part of the Summit, Pacsun presented Youth 25 honors in person to Grace Kao and Michelle K. Hanabusa celebrating their contributions to culture and the communities they influence.

The day included:

• Opening Meditation – Tai Beauchamp (Morning Mindset with Tai)
• The 2026 Youth Report – Neil Saunders (GlobalData)
• Fireside Chat, Building at the Scale of Trust – Michelle K. Hanabusa (UPRISERS), Erick de Vera (Gardens and Seeds), Sami Miró, and Elijah Baig (Springy), moderated by Oliver Chen of TD Cowen
• Youth 25™ Unveiling – Inaugural List Recognizing 25 Voices Across Fashion, Music, Art, Sport, Technology, and Digital Culture Moving Youth Culture Forward
• Keynote, How Snapchat is This Generation's Media of Choice – Grace Kao (Snapchat)
• Youth Council Introduction – Kate Nishimura (Sourcing Journal), featuring Sophia Johnson, Iya'Nique Kelly, Max Yu, Ashton Thomas, and Mia Mendoza
• Fireside Chat, Turning Purpose Into Action – Elyse Cohen (Rare Beauty & Rare Impact Fund), Jennifer Prince (Los Angeles Rams), Amy Taylor (Angel City Football Club)
• Fireside Chat, Purpose by Design – Jason Mayden (VP, Jordan Visioneering & LA28 / Founder and Creative Director, Trillicon Valley)

Now in its second year, the Purpose Summit reflects Pacsun's broader approach to staying connected to youth culture through ongoing dialogue and co-creation. Alongside the Summit, the Youth Report, Youth Council, PS Community Hub, and newly introduced Ambassador Program give young people multiple ways to share their perspectives and participate in shaping the brand. Together, these initiatives help Pacsun continually listen, learn, and evolve alongside its community across fashion, sport, art, and music.

The full 2026 Youth Report by Pacsun is available here. To view all images from the Purpose Summit, click here.

About Pacsun
Pacsun is a purpose-driven, leading specialty retailer offering a cross section of emerging brands and trending fashion through the lens of youth culture. Delivering the latest contemporary, streetwear, and activewear, Pacsun partners with the best brands at the intersection of fashion, music, art, and sport to offer curated collections, rare and exclusive products, and creative collaborations on every level to inspire the next generation. Founded in 1980 in Newport, CA, Pacsun is now co-created in Los Angeles. Follow @pacsun on TikTok, Instagram, X, Facebook, and YouTube.

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SOURCE Pacsun