Predicting the Melanin Trends of 2025
2025 has kicked off with a bang! Every day seems to throw crazy new headlines at us. We’ve seen Signal group chats and crazy wet weather along the Australian East coast. But what are going to be the big picture trends that impact us as young South Asians?
At the end of last year we recapped The Melanin Trends of 2024. Read on for our predictions of the trends of 2025, covering everything from IRL catch-ups to empty classrooms and media takeovers.
1. Communities going IRL
Last year we wrote about the importance of *Finding your tribe: the power of micro-communities.* While we have seen community groups continuing to rise in 2025, there’s big preference for in person catch-ups. It was nice to find friends online during the lockdowns, but COVID feels far away now and cities are really feeling alive again.
Community groups are taking advantage of the bustle by hiring fancy venues, pairing run clubs with morning cafe meals and making the most of the returning nightlife. This year more than ever is your chance to pursue your interests, attend a few interesting events and perhaps make some deeper connections. If you’re single, chuck out the dating apps for this!
Melanin Run Club, Melbourne (@melaninrunclub)
2. The Brown Therapy Boom
Mental health is no longer a taboo topic in our communities. More South Asians are seeking therapy, coaching, or just open conversations about emotional well-being - especially with therapists who actually understand cultural nuances. Check in with your friends and support those groups that are sharing resources within the community (like Shakti Mental Health).
Keep an eye out for more events, information and people in this space. 👀
3. More Creators – Making the Average Elite
Reels and TikTok have changed our scrolling habits so much that even Instagram has changed its format on profiles. People are becoming influencers in every way, whether sharing their cooking or talking through the working week.
Creators are also getting more creative with the platform. New hooks were just the start. Now mini films, multi episode plots and podcasts are coming to our feeds.
The real question is this: who will be the new Melanin superstars who go viral in 2025?
4. Uni classrooms are going to be a little more empty
For South Asians university is pretty much the expectation from the moment of your birth. But this year more than ever before we’re going to see more people step away from this traditional pathway. This shift won’t be easy on our parents, but the conversations are already happening.
People are now learning through online communities, networking, and just doing the work instead of waiting for a tuition fee or certification to tell them they can. Watch for a growing number who choose entrepreneurship, creative careers, skilled trades or even travel instead.
5. South Asian Stories Taking Over Media
From RRR’s global domination to All We Imagine As Light making waves at Cannes, 2024 was a big year for South Asian storytelling. Bollywood is thriving on streaming, and indie filmmakers are getting more recognition than ever (we covered some of this in Bollywood stars hit Australian shores: IFFM 2024).
2025 is about to take that momentum and run with it. South Asian stories aren’t just popping up - they’re becoming the main event. We expect more big hits from Bollywood and independent filmmakers in Hollywood, and a few streaming sleeper success stories. The bar has already been raised. Now the quality of storytelling will only go up.
The future is unknown…
The year is just getting started, but one thing is clear: 2025 is shaping up to be a year of community, creativity, and breaking traditions. There’s so much more to come, and we’ll be here covering it all. Stay tuned - and if you’ve got predictions of your own, drop them in the comments or slide into our DMs.
