Unitree Robots on the Vogue World Runway Spark a Wave of Criticism

The wording provoked a sharp reaction from the audience. Under the publication's Instagram post, commenters left scathing reviews:

"What exactly are you even clapping for?"

"Nobody wanted this. Nobody asked for this. Keep robots out of art"

"Just because you can do it doesn't mean you should."

Attentive viewers also noticed the guests' reactions. Miuccia Prada and Alessandro Michele looked visibly puzzled by the robots. Their faces during the runway show became a separate source of memes on social media.

Not the First Case

Vogue has tried to "befriend" fashion with artificial intelligence before — and faced criticism every time. In August 2025, the magazine ran a Guess ad featuring a fully AI-generated model. Readers were outraged at the time that instead of a real model, brands could now create any desired look with a neural network.

The Post-Wintour Era

The robot scandal gave another argument to those who believe the magazine is finished without Anna Wintour. As a reminder, the editor-in-chief left her post in June 2025 after 40 years on the job.

For the industry, this is yet another signal: an attempt to impress with technology at Fashion Weeks does not always convert into a positive audience response. As the Milan case shows, the line between innovation and a grimace of couture turns out to be thinner than editorial teams think.