At this year’s Allen & Co. conference in Sun Valley, the familiar parade of tech vests and jeans shared the spotlight with a wider range of styles. Lauren Sánchez and Ivanka Trump brought a more fashion-forward approach to the gathering, where figures from technology and media, along with finance and politics, meet in an informal resort setting often nicknamed “summer camp for billionaires.” Allen & Co. hosts the private, week-long conference at Sun Valley Resort in Idaho. Preparations for the 2026 gathering were under way at the Sun Valley Lodge on July 6.
The setting helps explain the contrast between the attendees’ influence and the event’s relaxed visual culture. Sun Valley Resort opened on December 21, 1936, developed by Union Pacific Railroad chairman W. Averell Harriman to encourage rail travel to the region. Men’s Journal journalist Annmarie Gajdos described the area as having “a genuine appreciation for the surrounding environment,” while Seattle real-estate broker Eric Akines, quoted by Big News Network, said, “People aren't coming to Sun Valley to be seen. They're coming because they genuinely love being here.” The style shift is unfolding within that established casual atmosphere, rather than signaling a formal change to a published dress code.
After a trip to Fiji, Sánchez kept to a summery palette in a pale-pink knotted shirt, matching skirt and stilettos. On another occasion, she wore a Chanel miniskirt and bouclé jacket with a nude top. Ivanka Trump chose a seafoam-blue ensemble by Matthew Bruch with wide-legged pants. Her conference wardrobe featured designs by Monse, Carolina Herrera, Oscar de la Renta and Reformation, along with a denim jacket from the Gap x Victoria Beckham collection. She also wore boots by Liberty Black, suited to the region’s rustic character. Some outfits came from her personal collection, alongside pieces from European labels including Destree, Reiss and Zara.
Other attendees added to the mix. Karlie Kloss and Joshua Kushner coordinated in oversized shirts and T-shirts. Kloss accessorized with Maison Margiela x Gentle Monster sunglasses and wore a black-and-white knit dress at another event. Miranda Kerr chose a black cutout top and pants, adding a white coat after a coffee run with Snap CEO Evan Spiegel. Diane von Furstenberg opted for jeans and a black T-shirt. Eventbrite co-founder and CEO Julia Hartz wore a lilac T-shirt with an off-white jacket, while Away’s chief executive chose a brown floral dress.
Male executives largely stuck with understated staples. Jeff Bezos favored jeans and T-shirts; Mark Zuckerberg was seen in a brown polo and striped shorts. Warner Bros. Discovery chief executive David Zaslav wore denim on denim, while Meta executives Javier Olivan and David Wehner kept their outfits practical and simple. Company-branded hoodies and neutral colors remained part of the conference’s visual shorthand, where clothing can signal affiliation as much as individual taste.
Paris-based designer Paul Billot, who studies the intersection of technology and fashion, has observed that many tech professionals favor loose-fitting, neutral clothing, sometimes in imprecise fits. He sees the preference as a focus on intellect over appearance, while noting a tension with the sector’s interest in fitness and health tracking. Leigh Anne Clark of Auger has argued that Silicon Valley more often adopts fashion trends than originates them, and rarely sets the pace for the wider industry.
The evolution of conference style is unfolding alongside broader shifts in festival and summer fashion, including layered basics and folk-inspired prints. Elsa Pataky’s influence on summer festival attire was recently highlighted in a feature on the growing popularity of boho plaid skirts, reflecting a wider appetite for comfort and individuality in public appearances.
Sun Valley’s mix of high fashion and casual staples reflects the conference’s place at the intersection of business, technology and culture. The gathering is private, and fashion remains secondary to its business agenda. Still, attendees’ clothes offer a visible account of how influential figures present status and identity in a setting designed to feel informal.
That contrast is part of the event’s appeal: a week-long meeting of powerful figures in a resort town where visitors blend into everyday surroundings. As technology, media and fashion continue to overlap, the styles seen at Sun Valley offer a snapshot of changing expectations around professional dress in influential social settings.
