The Arrogance of Elitist Aesthetics Should End

Not long ago, I attended a talk where a designer said, “True beauty is restrained, understated, and exclusive. Anything flashy or loud is simply vulgar.”

The audience applauded thunderously, but I couldn’t agree less. Since when did aesthetics become a hierarchy?

The elite's obsession with “high-class taste,” cool minimalism, and old-money style has built an invisible wall — branding anything that doesn’t fit their mold as cheap or tacky. But this kind of aesthetic gatekeeping is, at its core, a form of arrogance.

Who has the right to define what counts as “high class”? Is it Paris Fashion Week designers? Art critics with capital in their hands? Or niche KOLs who flaunt obscure tastes to signal their status?

Quiet Luxury

The standard of beauty should never be monopolized. The vibrant colors of street culture are beautiful. So is the raw, lively energy of everyday life.

When brands use discreet luxury as a marketing tactic, what they’re really saying is: You don’t deserve this — unless you qualify. These invisible thresholds push ordinary people aside, making them feel lesser.

Why should we be judged by some arbitrary definition of sophistication? True aesthetics shouldn’t be a chain of disdain.

You can love the minimalist purity of CELINE and the vintage glam of GUCCI. You can admire the greys of Ramdane Touhami’s world and be mesmerized by the bold, folkloric colors of indigenous cultures.

Beauty isn’t ranked — it’s simply different.