The Curator, Tastemaker, Style Influencer ...

The curator, tastemaker, style influencer, fashion ambassador and celebrity; They are changing the scene of online shopping.  I see one consistent trend being the use of curators in recommending products. Marketing research has shown that we as consumers like recommendations from people we know and/or admire and are more inclined to shop these suggestions.  So is the curator the new online marketing strategy of today as was the flash-sale of previous years?  Below are four unique online websites that have adopted the curator-based business model.

AHAlife is an online discovery and shopping platform that offers unique handpicked products by the likes of Donna Karan, Daniel Boulud, Tina Brown and Tim Gunn.  

The Coveteur offers a look into the closets of tastemakers, celebrities and fashion elite with the ability to actually shop pieces from their closets.

Vaunte recently launched and is also offering up fashionable closets by redesigning the world of online luxury consignment shopping.

The Cools is a social network and an e-commerce site.  Its tastemakers include Erin Fetherston, Vladimir Restoin Roitfeld, and Agyness Deyn.