7 Most-Stylish Tech Leaders of Silicon Valley [Part 1]
When the HBO series ‘Silicon Valley’ debuted in 2014, costume designer Daniel Orlandi gave us the look and feel of how tech bros dressed. In real life too, the tech hub has always nursed the reputation of having a lazy fashion sense. Not anymore. The tech bros of 2023 are proving it all wrong by making their own distinct fashion statement that goes beyond the corporate dress code. Jack Dorsey We cannot begin talking about tech bros in fashion without including Jack Dorsey, co-founder and former chief executive of Twitter and fintech Square. A class apart, Dorsey’s fashion sense is edgy and unique. The billionaire frequently sports a combination of jeans, sneakers, and a t-shirt topped with a leather jacket from the experimental and unconventional high-end designer Rick Owens. Another hot-favourite with Dorsey is the Dior Homme dress shirt with a distinctive reverse collar made from cotton poplin – simple, yet sophisticated. He can also be spotted donning high-end labels such as Prada, Hermes, and Rolex. Also, the Twitter boss seems to be particularly fond of his black beanie, when opting for an unkempt look. Mark Zuckerberg Stark in contrast with Dorsey is Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg. Every kid and cub in the world knows Zuck as the champion of grey t-shirts. He says, dressing in the same manner every day allows him to save time and mental energy. The Facebook co-founder often sports a casual look in his signature dark blue Levi’s jeans and trusty Nike sneakers. However, the grey tees in question are no ordinary ones. They are custom-made by luxury brand Brunello Cucinelli, and are rumoured to cost between $300 and $400 each. Zuckerberg is said to have been influenced by Apple co-founder Steve Jobs’ style of wearing his signature black turtleneck sweaters by Japanese designer Issey Miyake, blue Levi’s jeans, and New Balance sneakers. Jensen Huang Jensen Huang, the president at NVIDIA, is always found donning his distinctive black motorcycle leather jacket along with a black t-shirt. During discussions, Huang has pointed out that he prefers to wear the jacket to set himself apart from other executives who frequently opt for formal suits or corporate clothing. He has also expressed that it is a convenient and functional choice for his hectic routine, as it can be effortlessly adjusted to suit various events. Sam Altman The new darling of Silicon Valley, Sam Altman, peaked with his fashion choices when he donned a double-collared t-shirt in pink and green, while presenting at an Apple keynote in 2008. Always carrying a doomsday backpack, Altman can mostly be found wearing round-neck, full-sleeved t-shirts in pastel shades that he pairs up with black or blue jeans or even cargo shorts. From a starry-eyed newcomer to one of the biggest entrepreneurs of this era, we have seen his dressing style evolve with him. Although the OpenAI co-founder has never revealed the brands he wears, we surely know he loves accessorising with sunglasses. Satya Nadella From wearing the nerdy black/white polo-sweater vest combo to maroon t-shirt under a striped blazer, Satya Nadella has garnered the attention of several prominent fashion designers for his classy, yet casual look. According to designer Masaba Gupta, Nadella has an “excellent sense of style with a no-frills attached look”. He is often seen in navy and black polo tshirts, and prefers the expensive Parisian Lanvin for sneakers. Google’s ​​Larry Page and Sundar Pichai too swear by their Lanvin sneakers, just like their current competitor Nadella. Southampton-based exclusive brand Håndværk is said to have Nadella as one of its frequent online shoppers for polo t-shirts priced between $100 and $125. Ilya Sutskever Like his colleague Sam Altman, OpenAI’s co-founder and chief scientist Ilya Sutskever has never publicly spoken about his sartorial choices. At a place like Linkedin, where profiles are all about professionals in formal corporate attire, Sutskever’s profile picture in cowboy hat and formal attire create a striking contrast that captures his unique personality and style. Sutskever’s quirky fashion choices, including his love for unconventional clothing such as the iconic ‘red sheep jersey’ that Princess Diana had popularised, showcase his ability to carry himself with confidence and grace, whether he’s dressed in a regular polo shirt or donning a cowboy hat. Elon Musk No list on corporate fashion can be complete without talking about Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and Twitter. Our MVP in fashion, is known for his unique and scattered dressing sense, which has garnered public interest. During the launch of the new Model Y car, Musk’s customised Nike Jordan 1 sneakers with the Tesla logo may have grabbed more eyeballs than the car itself. These sneakers were made using premium python and hair-on-hide leather, and six more pairs were produced at a cost of $1,500 each after they gained global attention. Musk had appointed celebrity stylist Emily Dawn Long to adopt the style of ruggedly masculine icons like Harrison Ford and Ernest Shackleton. It culminated in the fact that at the South by Southwest film festival of 2018, he dressed in a vintage leather pilot’s jacket and big boots with the aim like a visionary as he narrated to the audience the need to occupy Mars. However, Musk’s style has since become more casual and he no longer works with a stylist. He is now mostly seen wearing graphic t-shirts and tapered black jeans, albeit in a picture, his trousers were oddly pooled around his boots. Musk is also often seen wearing designer Alexander McQueen leather jackets, tuxedos paired with high leather boots, and occasionally dons a cowboy hat, as he is a fan of the ‘space cowboy’ style. But no matter what, Musk continues to be an icon for his unconventional taste. As you may have noticed, we’ve so far only spoken about fashionable men in the tech ecosystem. Ladies, fret not, we shall soon release a Part-2 with the best dressed women in tech. Keep watching this space.
Sartorially challenged or fashion forward? When it comes to power dressing, the tech bros are killing it in their distinct style
Sartorially challenged or fashion forward? When it comes to power dressing, the tech bros are killing it in their distinct style
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Shritama (she/her) is a technology journalist at AIM who is passionate to explore generative AI with a special focus on big techs, database, healthcare, DE&amp;I, hiring in tech and more.