India, Dec. 28 -- H&M launching their beauty line in India to a severely lukewarm reaction would have millennial jaws hitting the floor had the pastel products made their way to the glocal hub a decade back. But the formula that had American retail giants like GAP Inc. and Victoria's Secret become global cultural zeitgeists in the 90s, sadly - and for obvious reasons - does not apply to the current crop of 20-something spenders.

Brand building back in the day relied rather heavily on faces, places and rule-of-thumb trends that managed to hold attention for months on end if not years; the Victoria's Secret angels X Juicy Couture crossover is a great example, iconic in real time and in memory. Now for better or for worse, Gen Z just isn't ...