The Tamesis
At the 2026 Met Gala, some of tech’s biggest names — including honorary co-chairs and chief sponsors Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg — skipped the red carpet. However, those who did make it to the top weren’t wearing the clothes from the big fashion houses we’ve come to expect, but mostly independent designers.
Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri wore Kartik Research, and VP of Fashion Eva Chen wore Rachel Scott’s Proenza Schouler; Stewart Butterfield (CEO of Slack) and Selby Drummond (former Snap and Bumble employee, now founder of tech venture Plum Alley) both wore Conner Ives; Charles Porch, who recently joined OpenAI after a long career at Instagram as VP of Global Creative Partners, wore Kallmeyer for the first time menswear.
These executives have the ability to have any fashion brand in the world design clothes for them. So why seek out smaller, independent designers on the biggest fashion night of the year?
Attendees know that once they step onto the steps of the Met, their outfits will be analyzed and selected not only by the media but also by the millions of viewers who tune in to the Met year after year. Choosing an emerging name signals a level of investment in a new star in the fashion industry, as opposed to an established brand. This year’s Met Gala comes at a time when tech giants and CEOs are keen to emphasize the importance of taste as artificial intelligence technology becomes increasingly accessible and user-friendly. What better way to channel your inner spirit than on the steps of the Met Gala, surrounded by the most important names in fashion while wearing emerging brands they endorse?
Designer Daniella Kallmeyer says this is where big tech money should really be invested. “If those with the most money, opportunity and power don’t support art, emerging brands and independent designers, then they are only elevating those who are already at the forefront.”
Of course, many tech executives have proven their fashion sense by wearing independent brand clothing. Both Chen and Drummond come from the magazine world (Chen was the editor-in-chief of a magazine owned by Condé Nast). lucky magazine, while Drummond long Fashion Editor), Porch has always straddled technology and culture in his roles at Instagram and now OpenAI. Mosseri is no stranger to independent designers, having worn the likes of Tanner Fletcher, Wales Bonner and Bode at the Met Gala. (Zuckerberg, anyway, chose Prada after debuting at Prada Fashion Week earlier this year.)
