Former Gucci creative director Frida Giannini has called Vogue World: Milano an 'embarrassing circus' after humanoid robots walked the runway during the event in Milan. Giannini criticised the 22 September event on Instagram, questioning its use of robots and OpenAI. She argued that the funds could have supported Italian suppliers and the country's industry instead.
'I personally think that this event was so tacky and ridiculous, that I am proud to wasn't invite,' she said. 'Nonsense. Non-humor. Non-elegance. Only an Embarassing circus. For Milano and Italy,' she wrote.
She then questioned the focus on AI and robots at an event meant to celebrate Italian craftsmanship.
'Like helping Italian suppliers "as I intended that was the purpose and made in Italy" With OpenAI and robots??? Please, a bit of consistency. And dignity. So sad.'
A Deeper Blade Runner Reference
She compared the event to Blade Runner, noting in Italian that the film's unsettling vision of the future is sadly becoming closer to reality. The 1982 film is set in a futuristic world where bioengineered replicants blur the line between artificial and human life. It explores questions about identity and the meaning of being human.
She added that Blade Runner at least contained a sense of seduction and magic. Her comments also sparked heated exchanges in the replies. After one commenter suggested she had not watched the event properly, Giannini responded in Italian, saying, 'Probably you are not a professional, sorry'.
Robots Hit The Runway
The criticism came after four humanoid robots from Chinese robotics company Unitree appeared during Vogue World's fourth act, 'The Age of Intelligence'. The robots walked the runway alongside models including Alex Consani, Ruth Deng and Yumi Nu at Milan's Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II.
ロボットたちが #VogueWorld のランウェイでキュートなウォークとダンスを披露🤖 pic.twitter.com/lQ2PyJtFY5
— VOGUE JAPAN (@voguejp) September 23, 2026
Their appearance was part of the show's wider look at how technology is changing fashion.
'The robots came into the conversation to represent this very moment that we're living through, which is the beginning of robotics,' Vogue World creative director Costa Paz said.
'They're still very clunky – you know, like how the first cellphones were suitcase-sized – but the robots are meant to be an inflexion point in human history.' Costa Paz also acknowledged the unease surrounding the technology.
'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.'
Vogue's Vision
The robot's appearance reflected the broader theme at Vogue World: Milano, an event celebrating Italian fashion and craftsmanship and exploring the connection between fashion and technology.
alex consani walks during vogue world pic.twitter.com/TUEcKZStDg
— ˖᯽ ݁˖ pop backup ˖᯽ ݁˖ (@popbackupp) September 22, 2026
The event included a film starring Italian model Vittoria Ceretti as 'Vittori-AI', which explores how far machines can understand taste, feelings, and experience.
In Blade Runner, replicants develop emotions and empathy. Their desire for a longer life motivates them to seek freedom, while the film questions whether the machines are the true antagonists or if the humans pursuing them have become more like their prey.
Vogue stated that its engineering team used OpenAI's Codex to develop a simulation of the venue and test the paper dragonfly effect featured in the finale.
Giannini's Gucci Career
Giannini joined Gucci in 2002 and became the Italian fashion house's creative director in 2006, remaining in the role until February 2015. She returned to fashion in 2025 with Hypernova 150, a collection made with Liberty London to celebrate the retailer's 150th birthday.
Her comments also added to the wider discussion about technology's growing role in fashion. While Vogue presented the robots as a way to visualise a future already taking shape, Giannini wondered whether that future fits with the fashion industry's traditional skills.
