Publishing is full of rankings, from power lists to best-dressed lists to under-40 lists. The CULT100 is different. There is just one criterion for inclusion—but it’s a high bar.

To qualify, a candidate must be actively shaping and changing our culture in real time. The people on this list represent five generations and hail from the worlds of food, publishing, art, fashion, activism, and entertainment. To put this group together, CULTURED‘s editors leveraged the full strength of our network, tapping artists, writers, and cultural leaders to tell us who they look to when they want to feel challenged, hopeful, and inspired.

Some members of the CULT100 are household names; others have been working behind the scenes to make possible the cultural encounters that stop us in our tracks. In a time of binary thinking, the creators featured in this year’s list are embracing contradiction, bouncing willfully between disciplines, and refusing to take no for an answer. They have guts, vision, and a potent cocktail of realism and optimism. None of them is shying away from the anxiety of our moment. Instead, they are thinking big, sharing generously, and embodying courage. The good news is, their work makes us all a little bit braver, too.

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TONY TULATHIMUTTE
NARA SMITH
Photography by NARA SMITH

NARA SMITH

CONTENT CREATOR

The model and content creator has conquered the Internet with her ASMR-coded take on the tradwife phenomenon, making everything from toothpaste to soda from scratch while decked out in couture.

WHAT KEEPS YOU UP AT NIGHT? Most nights, I find myself unable to put down my current fantasy book—even when I want get to bed early. The rest of the time, I sit in bed tweaking recipes and thinking about what to have for breakfast the next morning.

WHO DO YOU CALL THE MOST? I’m with my husband constantly. When I’m not, I call him more than I probably need to. He always has something helpful to say in hard moments, and he helps sort my thoughts.

WHEN YOU WERE LITTLE, WHAT WERE YOU KNOWN FOR? Having an abundance of books in my room. Fantasy, cookbooks, Greek mythology, you name it.

"I sit in bed tweaking recipes and thinking about what to have for breakfast the next morning."

IF YOU COULD ATTRIBUTE YOUR SUCCESS TO A SINGLE QUALITY, WHAT WOULD IT BE? Being ambitious and hardworking. If I have a goal in mind, I’ll do everything I can to achieve it.

WHAT’S COMING UP FOR YOU IN 2025? So much. I’m very passionate about all that I get to do—cooking, fashion, beauty—and I have so many ideas. I’m excited to keep on building.

WHAT QUESTION DO YOU ASK YOURSELF MOST OFTEN WHILE YOU’RE MAKING WORK? Am I staying true to my brand and vision? Does this have longevity?

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TONY TULATHIMUTTE