Meet the Next Generation of Lifestyle Tastemakers

Born in Oakland, California to parents from two distinct cultures—Kenyan Maasai on her mother’s side and Nigerian Itsekiri on her father’s—Kiano Moju’s creative identity is informed by her rich heritage and her own travels. Her debut cookbook, AfriCali: Recipes From My Jikoni, celebrates the intersections of these different influences, and is also how she approaches other aspects of lifestyle.“In my recent kitchen remodel, I focused on pairing natural materials with vibrant yet grounded colors,” says Moju. "We painted the cabinets an avocado green, replaced the centers with rattan, and used horn cabinet knobs—a nod to traditional Kenyan homewares.” Following along on her Instagram is a joyful experience—a riotous display of colorful ingredients in festive settings. “For me, a home should feel personal, reflecting both taste and heritage,” she says. “I’m inspired by modern African homeware and interior design, which perfectly balances modern and traditional elements with subtle cultural nods that feel authentic, not kitschy.”

Polonsky & Friends founder Anna Polonsky has achieved notable recognition for her work in hospitality (including Forbes 30 Under 30 and the James Beard Awards); she's one of those creatives whose touch turns any project into creative gold. But ask her what her secret is, and her answer is collaboration. “I never create designs that are just my signature style; with my team, we conceive every single creative direction based on each client's story, vision, and inspirations,” she says of her agency. Craft and storytelling are at the heart of Polonsky’s work. “Things that feel human, imperfect, welcoming, often with a hand done touch,” she explains. This manifests from her personal style (she's often wearing up-cycled materials) to her approach to graphic design and interiors. “I never want a space to feel like a total look or Pinterest board; I like to mix and match handmade details (tiles, carpentry, art, textile) with cleaner, quality surfaces and materials.”

A born-and-raised New Yorker, Romilly Newman has been referred to as the "Gen-Z Martha Stewart." Her cooking content earned her her first audience (she had a food blog and YouTube channel called Little Girl in the Kitchen and even competed on the Food Network’s Chopped at the age of 13), and she went on to snag an internship at Cherry Bombe, where she did food recipe testing and development. These days, she’s a contributor for Athena Calderone’s EyeSwoon and a highly sought-after food stylist designing tablescapes for big name brands such as Oscar de la Renta. She can also frequently be found co-hosting dinner parties with the likes of—drum roll, please—Martha Stewart. “With my work, I try to evoke a feeling. I’m drawn to romance, abundance, and this idea of a beautiful mess,” she says, adding that it’s always her preference for things to be a bit broken and lived in. She also finds beauty in darkness—a moody color palette and deep flavors, textures, and scents. “It’s a little Victorian, a little gothic, but it's also meant to be whimsical and fun.” Among her chief inspirations is Dutch still life. “I love how there’s movement and it's a bit blissfully chaotic,” she says. “Things drip, they’re torn open…you can smell and feel the images.”

It’s easy to be swept up in the dreamlike world that Laura Jung has created. “My taste is heavily influenced by timelessness and heritage,” she explains; she takes pains to steer clear of trendiness. “My home is filled with natural colors and fabrics, a lot of wood and a mix between old and new,” Jung says. She counts her mother’s antique Korean chests among her favorite pieces. “I want a sense of calm and flow throughout my whole space and that's pretty much my aesthetic with my fashion style as well—pieces that ground me mixed with a fun, daring accent that shows my personality.” When hosting, Jung focuses on strength in simplicity. “I love having people over for an understated meal that doesn't look like much but then I use the best ingredients to make the whole experience emotional and spectacular,” she says. “I imbue love and care and intentionality into everything I do, through the way I dress, decorate, entertain and cook.”

New York City-based creative Yaminah Mayo—who you might know as "Spicy Mayo"—brings humor and confidence to everything she touches. “The pillars of my aesthetic are comfort, color, and joy,” she says. “I want every corner of my home, from the floor to the couch to the dining room table, to be comfortable for myself and my guests.” She accentuates that ease with pops of color and vintage knick knacks that bring her—you guessed it—joy. When describing her aesthetic, Mayo takes cues from decades past. “I'm obsessed with the 1970s and the decor of that era,” she says. “My taste is a blend of Johnson Publishing Company offices in Chicago and Mary Tyler Moore's bachelorette pad!” She steers away from minimal palettes, embracing a livelier spin. “I love the slightly hoarder-ish apartments of editors of yesteryear, walls and surfaces filled with trinkets from far-off travels and other special memories,” she says. “I appreciate that their spaces were greatly informed by their personal tastes. No two homes were alike.”

Hosting is Chloé Crane-Leroux’s love language. Her ethereal, joie de vivre approach to cooking and entertaining feels in line with the broader push for slow living. “My goal is to evoke a sense of nostalgia, connection, and effortless elegance,” she says. Originally from Montreal and now living in New York City, the plant-based cook and author shares a wanderlust-fueled aesthetic with her devoted audience of 1.3 million Instagram followers. She just released a new cookbook with her mother titled The Artful Way to Plant-Based Cooking, and many of her approachable recipes are available to watch and savor on Instagram. Crane-Leroux says her creative aesthetic is shaped by travel, the Mediterranean lifestyle, and nostalgia. “Travel inspires me to capture the feeling of different places—the colors, the textures, the light,” she says. “And the Mediterranean influence brings a soft quality that I love to infuse into my work.”