tech
Why is Silicon Valley suddenly obsessed with being tasteful?
Whether it’s Palantir selling a $239 chore coat, Anthropic taking over a coffee shop or executives walking the red carpet at the Met Gala, tech’s biggest players are pivoting to fashion to sell their brands – and attempt to appear cooler in the process
TL;DR
- Tech companies are investing in fashion and luxury goods, such as Palantir selling $239 chore coats and Anthropic hosting pop-up events.
- This pivot to fashion is an effort by tech firms to enhance their brand image, appear 'cooler,' and gain 'cultural capital.'
- Examples include Palantir's 're-industrializing America' branded jacket, Anthropic's coffee shop collaborations, and OpenAI's retro-style merchandise.
- High-profile events like the Met Gala show significant tech industry presence, with executives from companies like Amazon, Meta, and Alphabet attending and purchasing tables.
- Critics describe this trend as 'taste-washing,' an attempt to imbue technology with a sense of humanism and artisanal appeal, potentially masking the industry's less humanistic aspects.
- The historical context of tech's expansion into various sectors (books, music, housing) is noted, along with ongoing copyright disputes regarding AI training data.
- The article questions the authenticity of this interest in taste, suggesting it may be fleeting and driven by financial gain, contrasting it with the genuine appreciation of utility and style seen in figures like photographer Bill Cunningham.