Mark Zuckerberg is in his hypebeast era

While TikTok users mock Instagram Reel lovers for always being late to trends, the irony of fate wanted the meme to repeat itself even through investments. According to the Financial Times, Meta and its owner Mark Zuckerberg are interested in investing in 5% of EssilorLuxottica just a few days after the group acquired Supreme. Videos of him surfing in a tuxedo, gold chains, and graphic tees with Gothic Sans font aside, it is possible that Zuckerberg has decided to bet on Supreme, a brand that itself finds in a somewhat uncertain situation. Both companies preferred not to respond to the rumor, but since the news came out, Meta has risen by one percentage point on the stock market, while the Franco-Italian group by six. Is Meta’s prophecy of being late on trends truly coming true in fashion as well, with the involvement of the tech mogul in Supreme’s operations?

On one hand, the vision of Mark Zuckerberg in a pair of Dunks and a Supreme Box Logo tee might seem enticing for web humor enthusiasts, but on the other, it could imply a rather clear explanation regarding Meta's investment in EssilorLuxottica. As stated by the group’s CEO, Francesco Milleri, a few days ago, the updated version of the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses released last October has been a huge commercial success, selling more in just a few months than previous releases have in recent years. With a stronger grip on the eyewear manufacturer, it would surely be easier for Zuckerberg’s company to control upcoming releases; in return, Ray-Ban could count on more substantial financial support from Meta. Meanwhile, the Financial Times has fueled rumors about Zuckerberg’s future investment, suggesting that EssilorLuxottica wants to «launch a new version of smart sunglasses Supreme in partnership with Meta, to reach younger consumers».

Returning to Zuckerberg’s style, since the metaverse and digital avatars have represented the biggest flop in Meta’s history, the entrepreneur continues to surprise the internet with his “youthful” looks. While at the billionaire summer camp in recent weeks, he was spotted in his usual nerd outfit - a tight blue hoodie and mustard-colored fitted shorts - on Instagram he changed his handle to a playful @zuck and is seen in oversized tees, humorous graphics, heavy gold jewelry, and a more playful hairstyle. Until a few years ago, the CEO claimed to always wear the same look (including a Brunello Cucinelli tee) to minimize «decisions to make during the day», now he is spotted with looks that are anything but quiet luxury, like last month’s Balmain fully logoed t-shirt or, a bit like Kanye in 2016, the Overland shearling coat - a look that on X was immediately compared to the viral photo of a monkey that got lost in an IKEA in Toronto in 2012. Judging by the latest outfits of the most vanilla CEO in Silicon Valley and what might be the strangest investment in Meta’s history, it really seems that the era of the minimalist nerd has come to an end.