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Robots on the runway? Fashion fraternity says ‘no thanks!’
Humanoid robots may be fashion’s newest runway guests, but designers, models and industry voices are questioning if they're needed
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Robots are becoming fashion’s newest runway guests, and not everyone is welcoming them. At Vogue World: Milano 2026 on Tuesday (September 22), four humanoid robots walked during the “Age of Intelligence” segment at Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, sparking debate online, with many taking to social media to express their outrage. “Let’s never normalise robots in fashion please!” said one comment, with another saying, “Prime example of how to ruin fashion.”
But the robot-on-the-runway moment isn’t entirely new. The trend had also appeared at London Fashion Week, where Tulasi Parmar sent a humanoid robot down her SS27 runway on September 22, while in May, a South Korean showcase by entertainment-tech company Galaxy Corporation similarly paired robots with human models in choreographed avant-garde looks.
But what does the fashion fraternity have to say?
“We explored this concept two years ago at FDCI, but there needs to be a distinction. Unless there’s a genuine tech purpose, there is simply no substitute for a real model showcasing couture and craft on the runway. Our models have been doing it flawlessly for years, so for me, it’s a big no-no,” says FDCI Chairman Sunil Sethi.
“I’ll never be in favour of AI taking over human talent, especially on the runway. It just doesn’t make sense. Clothing needs a human silhouette to truly show how it fits and moves. This seems like it's nothing more than a temporary gimmick,” says model and show director Alesia Raut.
“The whole idea of a fashion showcase today, especially in a prestigious place like Milan, is to highlight the rarity and the intricacy and the beauty of what human beings can achieve as creative people as well as skilled artisans. And I don’t think robots resonate with that space. It felt extremely out of sync to me, and I would not encourage replication!” says designer Nachiket Barve
