A strong dose of color can change the world, especially a world mired in winter greys, chaos, and Mercury in retrograde. Charging into that battle with his #MakeYouSmileStyle and lifestyle blog (currently undergoing an exciting revamping), Will Taylor has been bringing color back into our lives, literally and figuratively, and I’m here for all of it.
His Instagram feed is a steady stream of inspiration, one that highlights his uncanny knack for impeccably matching his outfits to his surroundings, and offering helpful information on which products and techniques work best for him. Nothing is a hard sell, and his enthusiasm is as genuine as it is contagious. In other words, he’s the best sort of social influencer.
Lately I’ve been getting a kick out of his Twitter feed as well, as he opines his relative age in a world of youngsters who don’t remember what it was like being charged per text message. (Taylor’s a generation younger than me, so you can imagine how my dinosaur ass feels. He’s been blogging since 2009; I’ve been doing this since 2003.)
Above all else, it is his infectious spirit and unflagging optimism that has captured the fickle attention of style-watchers and design aficionados the world over. Ever-ready with a smile or a supportive response, he injects a badly-needed dose of colorful glamour into a mundane universe. Whether it’s his unabashed excitement over the new Lady Gaga song, or perennial reverence to a classic Madonna moment, he straddles the past and the future, while boldly living in the present. He bridges a clean, bright, modern aesthetic with a classic celebration of color and vibrancy, crafting a style that is at once accessible, functional and impossibly fabulous.
As evidenced by cheeky glimpses into bare-chested glory, he also knows his audience clamors as much for him to don colorful garb as they are to see him slip out of it. (A preference for briefs has endeared him to a whole new audience.)
More impressive than that pretty package is his relentless drive to better the world around him, starting with the outside and gradually and ingeniously working within. He isn’t afraid to share his personal stories and setbacks, and today we demand that from our social media stars. He’s also one of the most responsive Instagrammers out there, so if you say hello he’s likely to reply with a smile or quick word of thanks.
It’s a welcome breath of brightness in our dour and drab social media timelines, and whenever I see a new post of his pop up, it’s the first thing I click. We need more color in our lives. We need more color in the world.
