MILAN — Vogue World 2026 took place in Milan at the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II on September 22, featuring performances by Alicia Keys and Roberto Bolle alongside runway appearances by athletes. The event marked the fifth installment of the annual traveling spectacle, which previously visited New York, London, Paris, and Los Angeles.

The Milan edition was marketed as a tribute to Italian craftsmanship and the human touch. Francesca Ragazzi, the editor of Vogue Italia, oversaw the production in the historic shopping mall that has hosted 12 major fashion events since 2010, including three prior Milan Fashion Week showcases.

During an act titled "The Age of Intelligence," four humanoid robots made by Unitree Robotics walked onto the runway without clothes. The robots moved to Gigi D’Agostino’s song "L’Amour Toujours," waving their arms while one performed a lasso motion.

Juan Costa Paz, the creative director of Vogue World 2026: Milano, explained the inclusion of the machines. "The robots came into the conversation to represent this very moment that we’re living through, which is the beginning of robotics," he said. He noted that while the units were still clunky, similar to early suitcase-sized cellphones, they represented an inflection point in human history. They’re still very clunky—you know, like how the first cellphones were suitcase-sized—but the robots are meant to be an inflection point in human history," Juan Costa Paz said.

"It’s fun, because robots are fun. But it’s also terrifying and is meant to say, AI is not going away, and the robots are not going away," Paz said. The presentation received additional support from OpenAI, whose Codex software engineering system was used to build a simulation of the Galleria for the finale.

The show opened with model Vittoria Ceretti wearing a Valentino Haute Couture gown from the fall 2018 collection. Valentino Haute Couture has participated in three previous Vogue World events, with its fall 2018 collection featured in the 2022 New York edition. Alessandro Michele, the creative director of Valentino, attended the event.

Ceretti closed the show in a custom Prada look reinterpreting Look 49 from the fall 2026 collection. Other models and celebrities walking the runway included Gigi Hadid in a Valentino look and Cardi B in a Versace spring 2018 pop art dress. Versace later held a private after-party attended by Hadid and Cardi B.

Athletes played a prominent role in the runway presentations. Olympic short track speed skater Arianna Fontana, Italian volleyball players Myriam Sylla and Paola Egonu, pole vaulter Gianni Stecchi, Paralympic athlete Veronica Yoko Plebani, tennis player Aryna Sabalenka, and professional skateboarder Keegan Palmer all walked the runway. Tennis player Lorenzo Musetti appeared with Jennifer Lopez, while players from Inter Milan and AC Milan also participated. Inter Milan's CEO Giuseppe Marotta attended as part of the club's strategy to align with Milan's cultural and creative ecosystems.

Musical performances included a live cover of Donna Summer’s "I Feel Love" by Alicia Keys, a performance by dancer Roberto Bolle, and appearances by young choristers from La Scala. The finale featured the release of more than 6,000 paper objects named "LoveFrom libellula" from the ceiling of the Galleria. Designed by Jony Ive’s LoveFrom creative studio, each object was folded by hand using a single piece of paper and no glue.

"Milan is very special in the fact that it is a city that creates and also makes," Ive said. "And I think, typically, the creation and the making have become increasingly disconnected. So Milan occupies a very special place for me." He added that the team was intrigued by the idea of occupying the whole space to connect the ceiling to the floor. "In the same way that there are thousands of tiles in a mosaic, we loved this idea of being able to release thousands of these libellula," Ive said.

Reactions to the integration of technology and fashion varied among observers. Muna Ikedionwu, founder of MKEDI, praised the intersection of disciplines. "I’ve seen such incredible examples of engineering and AI being used to influence fashion, being used to influence design and art," she said. She described the approach as pioneering "emphemeral technology," which speaks to the temporariness of art and humanity.

Other voices expressed concern about the celebration of automation. "I’m annoyed by the celebrities cheering the whole thing," one tech founder wrote in a message. The founder added, "It’s sick and gloom. People are literally losing jobs and livelihoods because of these things. They need to stop encouraging it. What’s it even modeling? Headphones?" Jason Johnson, founder of Culture Impact Agency, offered a different perspective on the partnership.

"Publications are figuring out new ways to make money and tech has money," he said. "Vogue has the cultural influence and access that those tech people want." Vogue World has raised over $7 million across its first four editions from 2022 to 2025 for creative education and community initiatives in host cities. The next Vogue World event is scheduled for San Francisco in 2027.

Why It Matters

The event showed the growing intersection of high fashion, athletic culture, and artificial intelligence, drawing support from major technology firms like OpenAI. By incorporating humanoid robots and AI-driven simulations into a showcase centered on handmade craftsmanship, the production illustrated the industry's engagement with rapid technological change. The presence of athletes from diverse disciplines alongside traditional models and celebrities reflected the expanding scope of cultural influence within the fashion ecosystem.

Timeline

On September 22, 2026, Vogue World 2026 took place in Milan at the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. Vittoria Ceretti opened the show in a Valentino Haute Couture gown from the fall 2018 collection. Roberto Bolle performed at the event, and Olympic short track speed skater Arianna Fontana walked the runway.

Players from Inter Milan and AC Milan walked the runway, and tennis player Lorenzo Musetti walked the runway with Jennifer Lopez. Vittoria Ceretti closed the show in a custom Prada look reinterpreting Look 49 from the fall 2026 collection. More than 6,000 paper objects named "LoveFrom libellula" were released from the ceiling of the Galleria during the finale.

What's New

Later reporting provided additional context on the creative decisions behind the event. Juan Costa Paz stated that the robots represented the beginning of robotics and an inflection point in human history, noting that AI is not going away. Historical context revealed that Valentino Haute Couture has participated in three previous Vogue World events, with its fall 2018 collection featured in the 2022 New York edition.

The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II has hosted 12 major fashion events since 2010, including three prior Milan Fashion Week showcases. Jony Ive commented on Milan's unique position as a city that both creates and makes, explaining that the design team sought to occupy the whole space and connect the ceiling to the floor through the release of the paper objects.

How Sources Differ

Sources differed on specific details regarding the event's context and history. Another source focused on the broader history of the franchise, stating that previous Vogue World events were held in New York, London, Paris, and Los Angeles.