Power Meets Couture: Madison Zhao Is Redefining the CEO Dress Code
Ольга Бурцева: «Свобода починається з дозволу бути собою»
1 Липня, 2025
Madison Zhao doesn’t just follow trends — she defines them. As a fashion-forward CEO in the tech world, she seamlessly blends couture with executive presence, challenging every norm along the way. With a vision rooted in both resilience and style, she’s rewriting the rules of what leadership can look like.
Madison, you’re someone who creates trends and turns red carpets into your personal runway. You call yourself the most fashionable CEO in the world. What’s your formula — how do fashion and power come together in your life?
Fashion is how I express my feminine side and my love for beauty. Growing up with limited resources, I constantly felt like I had to choose between using my time to survive and succeed, or spending it on looking good. I couldn’t afford both. Time, money, and energy were so scarce that every hour spent on beauty felt like I was neglecting my ambition, and every moment spent chasing success meant sacrificing softness, elegance, and expression.
So when I finally started making money, fashion became my way of reclaiming everything I was once denied. I wanted to be both a powerful CEO and a stylish, attractive woman. And even today, that combination is still considered rare. Every outfit I wear is a statement that I don’t have to follow any dress code to belong or be accepted. I don’t need to dress a certain way to earn respect in the workplace. I have built real power, and no one can question my ability based on how I look, because the results I create speak for themselves.
I walk into every room dressed as stylishly as I can, not to impress anyone, but to remind my younger self that you never have to choose between being successful and being beautiful. Now I can wear whatever I want and still be taken seriously wherever I go, because real power isn’t about conforming — it’s about showing the world that you define what success looks like.
You have a unique style: tech business in couture. You wear Balenciaga to boardrooms and Dior to executive meetings. Who or what shaped your fashion taste? And what message are you sending to the world through your style?
My style was shaped by contrast. I grew up watching glamorous American TV shows while living in a small apartment where crime happened right next door. Fashion became both my dream and my escape. I told myself: if I ever made it out, I’d make sure I looked like I made it. So now, I wear high fashion like armour.
It’s not about flexing — it’s about storytelling. I walk into a room in red Balenciaga or soft pink Dior, and before I even speak, people know: I’m not here to play by the rules. I’m here to break them and still win.
Wearing couture in tech boardrooms is my way of challenging every outdated stereotype about what a successful CEO in tech should look like: some older man in a wrinkled suit. It’s a message to every girl who was ever told to tone it down to be taken seriously: you don’t have to. You can be powerful, feminine, and unapologetically yourself all at once.
Tell us about your boldest outfit — the one that made a statement when you stepped onto the business scene and surprised everyone.
My boldest look was the Balenciaga Shoe Bag top and skirt, literally reimagined from the grey cotton dust bags used to protect their shoes. A sleeveless top and mid-length skirt, cinched with drawstrings, blending casual utilitarianism with couture attitude. And to top it off, I carried the iconic Balenciaga passport bag, designed to resemble a passport, complete with a printed boarding pass. It was the ultimate symbol: luxury that travels, fashion that crosses borders.
I wore it to a private investor dinner, where almost every other guest was a man in a suit. Eyebrows were definitely raised. But within five minutes, the conversation shifted to my numbers and strategy. That was the moment I realised: once you own your space, your power isn’t defined by what you wear, it’s defined by what you do.
Which shows at Paris Fashion Week 2025 inspired you the most, and why?
I was most moved by Stéphane Rolland’s haute couture presentation. He transformed his runway into a charity event for at-risk teens, blending artistic purpose with powerful storytelling. Each piece felt like a statement — bold without being loud. That balance of purpose and power spoke to me as a founder who creates with meaning and vision.
It reminded me that when you build something with purpose, you never feel exhausted. You stay passionate, and the work continues to shine long after the spotlight fades.
Are you planning to launch your own fashion line? Businesswear with personality or something avant-garde?
Absolutely. After seeing shows like Stéphane Rolland and Schiaparelli, I felt incredibly inspired to create something of my own. I want to design bold silhouettes with unexpected textures and unapologetic colour. Imagine Schiaparelli energy with the strength of a power suit.
I actually see myself doing both. I want to create powerful businesswear with real personality, and at the same time explore daring, artistic couture. My goal is to make every piece feel like a declaration. When a woman walks into the room wearing it, the outfit speaks for itself. It tells you who she is before she even says a word. That’s the ultimate Madison style.
Credits
Model: Madison Zhao
@madison_ceo
Hair & Make-up: Blandine
@this.is.blandine
Photographer: Blandine Bertelot
@blandineberthelot
PR & Management: MaisonPR
@maisonpr
