Inside a spectacular celebration of Italian craftsmanship, fashion, and the human touch.
Milan became the centre of the fashion world on September 22 as Vogue World: Milano transformed the historic Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II into an extraordinary celebration of Italian fashion and craftsmanship. Coinciding with the opening of Milan Fashion Week, the fifth edition of Vogue World brought together some of the industry’s biggest names, iconic Italian houses, and generations of creative talent under the Galleria’s magnificent glass roof.
This year’s celebration was rooted in a particularly timely idea: the enduring value of human creativity in an increasingly technological world. Rather than looking at Italian fashion through a single era, the show travelled through centuries of innovation, tracing the relationship between craftsmanship, industry, technology, and imagination.
The evening unfolded in five acts. It began with The Artisanal Revolution, drawing on Renaissance textiles, intricate embroidery, lace, brocade, and hand-worked embellishment. From there came The Industrial Revolution, inspired by Italy’s manufacturing heritage and the precision of industrial production. Made in Italy brought colour, print, and the glamour of Italian cinema, while The Age of Intelligence explored the meeting point between fashion, technology, and innovative textiles. The finale, The Imagination Revolution, looked toward a future where Italy’s rich creative heritage becomes a starting point for new ideas.
Some of Italy’s most celebrated fashion houses were at the heart of the spectacle. Prada, Giorgio Armani, Versace, Ferragamo, Gucci, Bottega Veneta, and Dolce & Gabbana were among the names contributing one-of-a-kind creations inspired by the show’s themes. The looks were brought to life by an international cast that included Gigi Hadid, Vittoria Ceretti, Mariacarla Boscono, Paloma Elsesser, and other leading models, alongside unexpected celebrity appearances.
The star power extended well beyond the runway. Jennifer Lopez appeared in a dramatic Dolce & Gabbana look inspired by the glamour of the Italian diva, while Dakota Johnson, Naomi Campbell, Hunter Schafer, Pamela Anderson, and Cardi B were among the familiar faces adding their own fashion moments to the evening.
Yet perhaps the most important element was the setting itself. The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, with its soaring glass-and-iron architecture and neo-Renaissance details, provided more than a backdrop. One of Milan’s most recognizable landmarks, the historic shopping arcade became part of the performance, bringing together fashion, architecture, history, and spectacle in one of the city’s most iconic spaces.
Vogue World also carried a philanthropic purpose, with funds raised through the event supporting the Quarto Oggiaro Library in northwestern Milan, helping transform the community library into a contemporary cultural space for creativity and collaboration.
In Milan, Vogue World ultimately became a celebration of what fashion can preserve and what it can imagine. From Renaissance craftsmanship to experimental textiles and futuristic ideas, the evening placed Italy’s extraordinary creative legacy in conversation with the future, proving that even in an age dominated by technology, the human hand remains one of fashion’s most powerful signatures.
