Why Silicon Valley Wives Are More Influential In Style Searches
The wives and partners of some of the biggest tech heads are outpacing fashion icons online and we think we know why
Francois-Henri Pinault, Jeff Bezos, Richard Branson, Larry Ellison, and Mark Zukerberg aren’t particularly known for their sartorial storytelling, but their partners are- and more than one might think. In a recent study by NYC Leather Jackets, a company founded with the intent to disrupt the traditional leather market, it ranked billionaire wives looking at their public presence, industry engagement, and online influence. The influence that billionaire wives bring to the fashion market is their ability to shift the playing field like market trends, having a profound impact on sales for brands.
“The rise of billionaire spouses as fashion influencers represents a key shift in the luxury market,” explains a spokesperson for NYC Leather Jackets. “Unlike traditional celebrities, these figures bring unique influence through their access to global luxury networks and spending power.”
Remember during the January 2025 presidential inauguration ceremony, all the buzz Lauren Sanchez stirred with her revealing lingerie-inspired top, which spun Zukerberg’s gaze? And her wedding to Bezos this summer in Venice, is already being referred to as “going to be huge” according to The Cut. Page Six reported this week that the duo had fittings at Dolce&Gabbana in Milan ahead of their wedding.
The ranking is based on these women’s attendance at major fashion events, collaborations with fashion brands, media visibility, and online search interest. Data was collected through media coverage, event participation records, brand partnerships, and monthly search volumes for hashtags like "X Wife Style" and "X Wife Outfit" to measure public curiosity.
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Actress and wife to Kering CEO Francois-Henri Pinault, Salma Hayek ranked as the most fashionable billionaire wife for her most attended fashion event attendance. Hayek is quite active on the social events circuit and can be seen on red carpets and overseeing the final touches of Kering’s Women In Motion dinner during the Cannes Film Festival every May. She has a 91% positive mention rate and her front-row presence at 73 fashion events and deals with Kering-owned brands (Gucci, Saint Laurent, Alexander McQueen) generates 4.2K monthly searches.
Joan Templeman, the wife of Virgin Group founder Richard Branson, received the largest monthly search volume with 4 million searches- nearly 1000 times higher than Hayek’s 4.2K which is nearly a thousand times more than other ranked spouses. Her 100% positive mentions come from the red carpet and philanthropic event appearances without formal brand attachments.
Sanchez ranks 4th though she leads in fashion event attendance with 74 appearances. Her 47% positive mention rate presents a stark contrast to the preceding top three, while her collaborations with four major fashion houses (Versace, Tom Ford, Dolce & Gabbana, Staud) outnumber any of her predecessors.
Lucinda Southworth (wife of former Google CEO Larry Page) and Jennifer Gilbert (wife to Quicken Loans CEO) are each garnering over 2 million monthly fashion -related searches without any brand partnerships or event appearances. Southworth doesn’t have any brand partnerships, but her 78% positive mention rate falls between Kerr and Sanchez at 47%. However, she is the first tech spouse giving her a unique position.
Helene Mercier Arnault, wife of LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault, leverages direct luxury industry access. Her 670 monthly searches and 62 fashion week appearances focus on LVMH brands Louis Vuitton and Dior, with front-row seats at Paris Fashion Week shows. And Nikita Kahn, partner of Oracle founder Larry Ellison, ranks 9th, maintaining an 83% positive mention rate - higher than both Sanchez and Arnault but below the top performers. Her 398.9K monthly searches exceed Hayek and Arnault.
What’s also poignant is that Silicon Valley wives and partners tend to lean minimalism, dodging flashy trends, while opting for business casual. Templeman is relatively normal with her dress, exuding a stylish yet classy looks that fall in line with her age and personality. Priscilla Chan, wife of Meta founder Mark Zukerberg also dresses relatively normal and not flashy. Ranking number 10 in the study, she represents Silicon Valley's evolving fashion. Her 7.3K monthly searches and 69% positive mentions reflect her tech sector influence, though she maintains distance from formal fashion partnerships.
Perhaps a reason why Silicon Valley wives are more influential in style searches is that they, like Silicon Valley female CEOs and other tech company heads, want to not just be heard but also seen in a space where there are few women. In 2023, women accounted for just 13.2% of tech startup founders, a slight decrease from the 15.2% in 2022, according to Carta. And fashion brands are taking notice of this, hence maybe why the Stanford Shopping Center has stores from top brands from Brunello Cucinelli, to Cartier, Hermès, Zenga, and Louis Vuitton.
“These women and their style choices can instantly impact market trends, often carrying more weight than traditional fashion campaigns. Their influence is powerful because they blend exclusivity with relatability - they represent aspirational lifestyle while maintaining more accessible public personas than traditional fashion insiders,” says the spokesman from NYC Leather Jackets.
