The Power of Taste
Tastemakers as the new influencers, turning curation into currency.
In an era of oversaturation, it's not about follower count anymore: it's about curation. Discover why today’s tastemakers hold more power than ever before and how their influence is shaping the cultural landscape.
WHAT IS HAPPENING. The Rise of Tastemakers, Redefining Influence
As consumers grow more discerning and the social media space becomes increasingly saturated, a new class of influencer is emerging: the tastemaker. Over time, the mechanisms of digital influence have become increasingly nuanced. Follower count is no longer enough to measure success; today, the ability to curate, inform, and offer authentic expertise has become the true currency of influence.
From fashion to travel, tastemakers are setting the cultural agenda, proving that influence built on expertise and vision holds more weight than sheer visibility.
In the fashion industry, few embody this evolution better than Jenna Lyons; While many recognise her as a style icon, few know that she rose through the ranks at J.Crew to become its creative director and made her unique style shine through Jenna’s Picks, a curated selection of her favorite pieces. Her aesthetic sensibility captured the attention of The New York Times and earned Lyons a place on television projects like The Real Housewives of New York City, solidifying her status as a true fashion tastemaker.
Taste isn’t limited to fashion. Due to their excellent taste, interior designers like Colin King and Athena Calderone have cultivated loyal followings that extend far beyond their industry niche. Their influence now shapes consumer preferences and has landed them major brand deals across furniture, home accessories, and lifestyle. Through thoughtful curation and storytelling, they have turned unique taste into fully-fledged brands.
In the world of travel, David Prior has redefined what it means to be a tastemaker, earning a spot on Conde Nast Traveler’s Hot List just last week. His bespoke travel company PRIOR was born from a genuine passion for creative exploration and discovery, as well as storytelling, and it aims to offer clients truly unforgettable experiences. Through guides and editorial content online, David and PRIOR have established themselves as the ultimate authorities on refined travel, proving that expertise-driven influence can be as powerful as celebrity status.
Elin Kling followed a different trajectory from the ones above. Starting as a fashion influencer, she founded TOTEME, a brand that perfectly mirrors her excellent taste and captures the contemporary zeitgeist, following in the footsteps of Phoebe Philo and The Row. By 2024, TOTEME had secured a spot on the Lyst Index of the world’s hottest fashion brands, showing how taste can translate into business success. This example highlights that the process from expert to influencer isn’t one-way. As shown above, tastemakers gain influence by offering expertise, but sometimes the reverse is also true. Many influencers, wanting to differentiate themselves and gain credibility, attempt to establish themselves as experts in a specific field. With brands increasingly prioritising authenticity and alignment, influence today is not just about reach: it’s about uniqueness and relevance.
A final honourable mention must go to Dua Lipa, who has firmly established herself as a tastemaker. Between shows and holidays around the world, the vacanza queen has become known for her blog Service95. Offering everything from book and restaurant recommendations to viral recipes (ice cream with olive oil is a must-try, although a knife in the back to centuries of Italian tradition) and unusual drink pairings (Diet Coke with pickles - not sure), she has seamlessly blended culture, style, and taste.
WHY YOU SHOULD CARE. Taste As a Form of Influence
The reason tastemakers have gained such influence is that, in an oversaturated digital world, taste offers something increasingly rare: a clear point of view. In an era where everyone is competing for attention, the ability to curate and define what matters has become a powerful form of social influence.
TASTE IS SOCIAL CURRENCY.
In society, taste has long been a marker of identity and status. French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu explored how taste serves as a signifier of cultural wealth, identifying individuals as belonging to different social or cultural classes. Today, taste continues to be a form of social currency: especially on social media, where people are most likely to share things that make them look distinctive, interesting, or desirable.
This creates a mechanism where audiences gravitate towards tastemakers not just for inspiration, but for social association. By engaging with tastemakers - whether it’s through combining sweatshirts and ball gowns like Jenna Lyons, or replicating Athena Calderone’s interior design aesthetic - individuals signal their position within the cultural hierarchy.
TASTE IS SUBJECTIVE, BUT UNIQUENESS IS POWERFUL.
Taste has long been debated as both an individual instinct and a social construct. While past philosophers such as Montesquieu saw beauty and taste as objective elements, in today’s world, taste is largely subjective. The concept of art for art’s sake reinforces this idea, placing greater importance on an artist’s unique perspective rather than collective approval, and echoing Kant’s view of taste as an autonomous force.
The most influential tastemakers today are those able to bridge the gap between subjectivity and universality. They take their niche sensibility and make it desirable to the masses, turning personal vision into cultural influence. Their power lies not just in the ability to recognise and curate beauty, but also in the ability to shape what others perceive as beautiful or desirable.
Through their unique lens, tastemakers are not simple curators, but sometimes they are creators of culture. Take the example of Lotta Volkova. She is not just a stylist; she also contributed to building a cultural aesthetic around brands such as Balenciaga and Miu Miu, which ultimately contributed to their viral success.
BRANDS BENEFIT FROM WORKING WITH TASTEMAKERS.
As brands seek not only to maximise return on investment from their partnerships, but also to build brand equity through them, collaborating with tastemakers offers several key benefits:
Expertise & Credibility: tastemakers are recognised authorities in their fields, lending legitimacy and relevance to brands.
Brand Alignment: their focus on a specific field ensures a seamless fit with brands that share a similar style or values.
Growth: due to their dedicated and engaged following, partnering with them represents an opportunity for brands to reach new, loyal audiences.
Social Signaling: because taste is social currency, collaborations with tastemakers can position brands as symbols of taste and social status, ultimately driving sales.
The last point is particularly relevant as taste-signaling purchases become an established phenomenon. Consumers don’t just buy products; they buy symbols of their unique taste, demonstrating belonging to specific social groups. Several brands have built empires on this phenomenon, turning aesthetics into revenue. But more on this soon…
As the digital landscape evolves, tastemakers are proving that influence is increasingly more about relevance than it is about sheer reach. In an age of limitless choice, their ability to filter, curate, and define trends has become the ultimate form of influence.
I think Taste is simply having the awareness and deep sensitivity for quality, craftsmanship and beauty.
Tastemakers are the original influencer. The most relevant brands have always prioritized tastemaker engagement in their dressing, seeding, content and event strategies.