Massachusetts Basket Shop Bans Influencers Over Feminist Sign Controversy

Four Winds Craft Guild, a basket shop on the upscale Massachusetts island of Nantucket, posted an image of a "No Influencers" sign to Instagram last week. The picture quickly went viral across social media platforms where short videos and online groups began discussing the incident in depth. Many influencers with hundreds of thousands or even millions of followers reacted with immediate anger and outrage upon seeing the notice. Critics labeled the sign as out of touch and even sexist, arguing that it discriminates against a profession dominated by young women.

Lifestyle and fashion influencer Paige Lorenze, who commands nearly two million followers across various social media platforms, weighed in on the controversy. She stated to The Cut, "If you call yourself a feminist but proudly put up a 'no influencers' sign, it's worth asking who you are attempting to delegitimize, and why." While admitting that some influencers act poorly and drag down the rest of their field, Lorenze questioned why the store singled out her industry rather than all tourists. She pointed out that thousands of visitors flood the island every summer and often behave obnoxiously. "I'd be interested to see a comparison of the bad behavior of men... versus the 'bad' behavior of women," she told The Cut.

Other influencers echoed these sentiments in the comments section of Four Winds Craft Guild's Instagram post. Home decor influencer Stephanie Hanna, who has nearly 440,000 followers on Instagram, shared her personal reaction to the sign. "One day I walked into your store and saw that sign and immediately felt uncomfortable," she wrote. She explained that seeing the notice made her feel bad for being an influencer until she realized that anyone making others feel unwelcome does not belong there. Hanna suggested that a sign banning photography or video might be a fairer replacement option instead of targeting people based on their job.

Another commenter found the situation ironic, noting that the shop owner uses social media to promote their business while simultaneously trying to ban those who use similar tools. "It's funny that you do not want influencers to shop your store yet YOU yourself are trying to influence your store," one person wrote. They added that discriminating against any group is disgraceful and called the practice out as such. A third user highlighted the hypocrisy of banning social media while using it to broadcast their message, stating, "Do I get to put up a sign that says no (insert literally any group of people) to my business? Nope! That's called discrimination."

A fourth voice pointed out how the industry has empowered young women to build communities from nothing. They argued that while ring lights and filming might be annoying inside a specific store, banning an entire industry comprised mostly of women is not the way forward. The fifth comment simply stated that this policy discriminates against a career and person. Stephanie Hanna's full comments along with those of other outraged influencers are pictured in the viral post.

If a sign told you that men of a specific race or gender were banned from entering your shop, would you feel the same way? That is exactly how John Sylvia, the owner of Four Winds Craft Guild on Nantucket, sees the controversy over his latest advertisement. He told The Cut he was genuinely taken aback by the backlash. To him, it was a joke, a tongue-in-cheek gesture meant to be funny rather than literal policy.

Sylvia did admit that seeing influencers wander through without speaking to staff or caring about the baskets is maddening. Those wicker goods carry deep roots in Nantucket's history as a whaling community, yet some visitors treat them like props for a video. "A lot of people are tired of feeling like extras in someone else's video," Sylvia explained to The Cut. He wants customers to engage with the staff or at least talk to anyone inside. "Like, f***ing talk to me. Talk to anyone in my store."

He noted that when groups arrive together, they can clog up a space that simply isn't huge. It is annoying, sure, but he stopped short of calling himself anti-influencer. When The Cut pointed out that some viewers think the sign promotes sexism, Sylvia laughed it off. He claims he pays little attention to online comments and refuses to play the game. "This influencer culture, I just don't play to it," he said repeatedly.

The early reaction was mostly negative, with critics claiming discrimination. But lately, the tide has turned in favor of Sylvia and his business. Many commenters have jumped into the fray to mock the outrage. One user wrote that they are dying over all these influencers writing think pieces about being "discriminated" against when it isn't happening at all. Another said that influencers suddenly becoming a protected class was not on their bingo card for 2026.

A third commenter expressed love for the sign and called for less narcissistic people polluting timeless spaces with fast consumerism and entitlement. A fourth urged them to touch some grass, take a breath, and do something positive for their community instead of commenting here. The fifth simply stated that the influencers getting offended is the funniest thing ever. Sylvia dismissed Lorenze's opinion on the matter as well. Comments flooding the original Instagram post show people ridiculing those who claimed offense.