Vogue World’s Robot Runway Sparks Backlash Over Tech-Fashion Alliance

Milan’s Robot Spectacle Draws Viral Criticism

During the fifth edition of Vogue World, a troupe of humanoid robots built by the Chinese firm Unitree entered the Galleria in Milan as part of the act titled “The Age of Intelligence,” dancing to Gigi D’Agostino’s “L’Amour Toujours.” The robots waved their arms, performed a lasso, and remained unclad. Creative director Alessandro Michele of Valentino was captured with a pained expression that quickly went viral, embodying the audience’s discomfort with the tech‑driven performance.

Vogue World Milano ends (appropriately Europoor‑kitschily) with tiny robottini dancing to L’Amour Toujours while Alessandro Michele slowly dies inside pic.twitter.com/xicYWWl6VW

— sascha (@SaschaAmato) September 22, 2026

miuccia prada when the fuckass robot walked out during vogue world pic.twitter.com/SebwpV0zkl

— noah (@pradachurch) September 22, 2026

We are all Alessandro Michele, sitting front row at Vogue World Milan, having an existential crisis about the absolute state of things while robots awkwardly dance about. Numb to the pain at this point. Madness.

— Michael J. Miraflor (@michaelmiraflor) September 23, 2026

just got off the phone with the creative director of Vogue World. First question he asked me. “So you hated the robots?” 🤭Full interview on Substack tomorrow 👀 https://t.co/FTa3gumPgY

— Louis Pisano (@LouisPisano) September 23, 2026

Despite the event being marketed as a tribute to Italian craftsmanship and “the human touch,” the robots dominated conversation. The same Unitree models, known for their dance moves and occasional falls, also appeared on the runway at London Fashion Week, reinforcing the impression that the spectacle overshadowed any actual fashion presented.

San Francisco’s Upcoming Edition Fuels Debate

Vogue announced that the next edition of Vogue World will land in San Francisco, a city often described as one of the least stylish in the United States. Editor‑in‑chief Anna Wintour has increasingly aligned the magazine with tech barons, a strategy reflected in the Milan event’s sponsorship by Meta Glasses and additional support from OpenAI. The timing is not coincidental; the partnership underscores Vogue’s bid to tap into Silicon Valley’s wealth and cultural cachet.

Critics See Robots as Symbol of Wider Tech Concerns

A tech founder reached out on Instagram, lamenting the celebration of the robots: “I’m annoyed by the celebrities cheering the whole thing. 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?” The comment captures a broader anxiety that the robot act is a microcosm of the rapid, often unchecked adoption of technology during a cost‑of‑living crisis, amid concerns about AI, mass surveillance, labor displacement, and energy scarcity—all overseen by the same tech titans.

Jason Johnson, founder of Culture Impact Agency, noted that Vogue has pursued Silicon Valley ties for at least a decade, citing Jony Ive’s co‑hosting of the 2015 Met Gala. “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.” He concluded that both sides win in the end, even if the marriage feels unnatural to many observers.

What Real Innovation Looks Like in Fashion Tech

Muna Ikedionwu, founder of MKEDI, a strategy firm for early‑stage startups, pointed out that the dancing robots hardly represent the true innovation happening at the intersection of fashion and technology. “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 cited the artist duo AA Murakami, who created Olympian Eileen Gu’s bubble dress for this year’s Met Gala, and their work on “everlasting bubbles,” an example of “ephemeral technology” that speaks to the temporariness of art and humanity.

The collection I think about every day and what I think should be shown at Vogue World San Francisco

When compared with these projects, the robots did seem quite boring. The Spring 2024 Schiaparelli collection unveiled a robot baby crafted with Swarovski crystals and a dress made with vintage tech like PC microchips—an outfit I once threatened to wear to Disrupt (see image above). Such pieces illustrate how technology can be woven into fashion in ways that feel both futuristic and deeply human, contrasting sharply with the sterile performance in Milan.

Ikedionwu suggested that the robot act may have been an attempt to acclimate the public to the merging of technology and fashion, a process already underway behind the scenes. If so, it failed to resonate. Yet she remains hopeful that Vogue World San Francisco might finally showcase the substantive innovations that truly belong at the crossroads of style and tech.

History of Vogue’s Tech Partnerships

Vogue’s outreach to tech elites is not new. In 2015, designer Jony Ive co‑hosted the Met Gala, signaling early ties to Silicon Valley. More recently, Jeff Bezos and his wife Lauren Sanchez appeared on a splashy Vogue wedding cover and will co‑host the 2026 Met Gala, further cementing the magazine’s alignment with the world’s wealthiest tech figures.