Are Tech CEOs the New Fashion Influencers?
Power dressing has long been synonymous with perfectly cut suits, crisp white shirts, and shiny brogues. But decades after the term was coined in the mid-‘70s, its meaning has evolved alongside the growth of the tech industry and the new celebrity-like status of its CEOs, who are becoming fashion influencers in their own rights.
Comfortable hoodies and jeans — the “I really don’t care” look that seemed to be de rigueur just a few years ago — have slowly evolved into more sophisticated, luxurious and nuanced pieces. While still dressing in a casual way, many of today’s tech entrepreneurs have developed wardrobes that seem to be more thought through, and their new-found style has been influencing shoppers all over the world.
As luxury menswear starts to outgrow womenswear, this new, more subtle approach to power dressing seems to be resonating with customers. Similarly to the ways Meghan Markle, Katie Holmes or Gigi Hadid have been influencing consumers, tech CEOs have been gaining more global coverage for their style choices and driving demand for the luxurious pieces they have been championing.
Ahead, see who has been influencing customers this year.
Jeff Bezos, the Summer Style Icon
Over the summer, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos was photographed in a pair of purple, octopus-print swimming shorts by French luxury brand Vilebrequin. In the weeks that followed, the swim shorts were searched more than 4,000 times on Lyst, becoming the ninth hottest product in the Q3 Lyst Index and being responsible for a 105% rise in page views for the label.
Meanwhile, his love for puffer vests has also been resonating with customers: searches for “vest jackets” went up 109% in October, with Moncler, Patagonia and Canada Goose being the most searched brands in this category.
Jack Dorsey, the Moody Dresser
Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey is known for his atypical lifestyle and simple wardrobe, which mainly consists of black pieces. After he was spotted at the Celine fashion show wearing a black leather jacket, searches for similar outerwear pieces started to grow and have continued to do so since then: demand is currently up 28% month on month.
Meanwhile, black has by far been the most popular colour for male customers this year on Lyst, driving more than 7 million page views over the past few months. And when it comes to simple, fitted t-shirts — a must-have in Dorsey’s wardrobe — black, white, blue and grey have been the most popular choices in terms of colours.
Paddy Cosgrave, the Knitwear Influencer
Having been asked several times where he had bought his blue jumper — which had, in fact, been knitted by his wife — Irish entrepreneur and co-founder of Web Summit Paddy Cosgrave released 50 identical jumpers during this year’s annual gathering of tech leaders and entrepreneurs. Priced at £720, they promptly sold out and became a global breakout search, while social mentions for “blue jumper” rose 15%. In the following days, blue became the most popular colour for men’s jumpers on Lyst, with pieces from Stone Island, Gant, Polo Ralph Lauren and Moncler being the most viewed.