In a world drowning in thirst for likes, views, and validation, the most radical position is genuine satiation, a complete lack of hunger for digital approval. They are deeply knowledgeable experts whose authority comes from depth of understanding rather than breadth of influence.

A recommendation from Emily Sundberg's Feed Me isn't an endorsement; it's an anointing. The mechanism isn't mysterious: curators build trust not by being right but by being wrong in interesting ways. They earn the right to be occasionally mystifying because they've proven they're making actual choices rather than optimising for metrics. This... See more

The curator relationship operates at a fundamentally different psychological level than advertising. An algorithm might know you like blue Oxford shirts, but a tastemaker knows why a particular blue Oxford matters in a lineage of blue Oxfords. This contextual knowing, placing objects in historical and cultural frameworks rather than recommendation... See more

The 2025 tastemaker navigates this tension with remarkable dexterity. They aren't anti-digital but post-digital, using online tools with intention rather than compulsion. The crucial distinction lies in their relationship with attention: Internet Cool seeks it desperately; Scene Cool appears indifferent. This studied indifference isn't affectation... See more

a magnificent return to human judgment. Messy, inconsistent, biased, and infinitely more valuable.

Her call to "redefine cool by championing our otherness" positions authentic self-expression as a political act. The personal rejection of algorithmic determinism becomes part of a larger movement reclaiming human agency in multiple domains.

The 2025 tastemaker navigates this tension with remarkable dexterity. They aren't anti-digital but post-digital, using online tools with intention rather than compulsion. The crucial distinction lies in their relationship with attention: Internet Cool seeks it desperately; Scene Cool appears indifferent. This studied indifference isn't affectation... See more

The curator relationship operates at a fundamentally different psychological level than advertising. An algorithm might know you like blue Oxford shirts, but a tastemaker knows why a particular blue Oxford matters in a lineage of blue Oxfords. This contextual knowing, placing objects in historical and cultural frameworks rather than recommendation... See more

The critical distinction is that today's gatekeepers derive authority not from institutional power but from demonstrated discernment. Cultural capital now flows to those who can navigate overwhelming abundance with skill and intention.