In 2026, Vogue World will officially take place in Milan at the legendary Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. Anna Wintour announced this during a press conference in the Italian city together with Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala. Vogue World 2026 will be one of the main events of Milan Fashion Week.
Vogue World press conference in Milan. Photo: Lucas Possiede
Anna Wintour, Chief Content Officer of Condé Nast and Global Editorial Director of Vogue, personally announced the location of Vogue World 2026. The press conference under her auspices was held in the Sala Alessi at Palazzo Marino. During her speech, Wintour spoke about her long-standing love for Milan. She noted that she has been coming to this city several times a year for decades and considers it one of the greatest pleasures of her life. According to her, Milan is a city that best combines history, sophistication, creativity and care. These are the features, according to Anna Wintour, that reflect the best qualities of world fashion.
Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
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Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is one of Milan's most famous architectural landmarks. The 50-meter-high gallery was completed in 1877. It is located between La Scala Theater and the Duomo Cathedral of Milan. This historic space will be the main stage of Vogue World 2026. Anna Wintour emphasized that it is difficult to imagine a better location for the event than this space in the heart of Milan.
Vogue World 2026 will take place on September 22, the first day of Milan Fashion Week. The fifth Vogue World show will focus on the theme of international craftsmanship. Anna Wintour emphasized that at a time when cultural exchange is particularly important, Vogue World will become a platform for dialogue between tradition and modernity.
The previous four shows — in New York, London, Paris and Los Angeles — raised more than $7 million. The funds raised were directed to educational initiatives and support for local communities. Vogue World 2026 in Milan will also have a clear charitable mission. The funds raised during the event will go to support local manufacturers, the development of design skills and the preservation of cultural heritage. Anna Wintour announced that Vogue will make a special contribution to support cultural initiatives of the municipality of Milan. The selection of organizations will be carried out by a separate committee of Milanese institutions.
Lorenzo Bertelli, Francesca Ragazzi and Alessandro Michele at the Vogue World press conference. Photo: Lucas Possiede
Guests at the Vogue World 2026 launch in Milan included Francesca Ragazzi, head of editorial content at Vogue Italia. Also speaking were Lorenzo Bertelli of Prada, Alessandro Michele of Valentino and La Scala's premier choreographer Roberto Bolle. The audience included leading figures from the Italian fashion industry. They included Diego Della Valle, Renzo Rosso, Remo Ruffini, Gildo Zegna, Carolina Cucinelli and Frederic Arnault. Designers included Marco de Vincenzo, Fausto Puglisi, Rocco Iannone, Maximilian Davis, Francesco Risso, Margherita Maccapani Missoni, Sabato De Sarno and David Coma. Guests also included model Bianca Balti, music artist Ghali and Arianna Fontana. Arianna Fontana is Italy's most decorated Olympic athlete with 14 medals. During her speech, Anna Wintour noted that Vogue World can be compared to the Olympics. It is an international meeting of the best representatives of the industry.
Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala called it a double honor to host Vogue World 2026 in Milan. He emphasized the significant contribution of fashion companies to the city's economy. According to him, Vogue World 2026 provides an opportunity to channel investments to support important cultural initiatives in Milan.
Alessandro Michele focused on the theme of Vogue World 2026, “Where The Future Is Made By The Hand,” during his speech. He explained that this theme combines the tradition of fatto a mano, or handmade, with modern technologies, including artificial intelligence. Alessandro Michele compared the impact of AI to the invention of the Gutenberg printing press. It was a technological breakthrough that does not destroy tradition, but transforms it. Lorenzo Bertelli also spoke about artificial intelligence in the context of Vogue World 2026. He emphasized that AI and automation are not intended to replace experts. Their goal is to create better tools for the job. According to Lorenzo Bertelli, the artisan remains the central figure in the production process. He also emphasized that sustainability is the driving force behind innovation for the Prada Group and the Italian fashion industry in general.
Arianna Fontana at the Vogue World press conference. Photo: Lucas Possiede
Anna Wintour also introduced the creative team of Vogue World 2026. Juan Costa Paz became the creative director. Marco Balica was appointed the producer of the event. Judith Clark became the fashion historian and curator. Amanda Harlek will be responsible for the fashion direction. Anna Wintour separately noted the role of Francesca Ragazzi in the fact that Vogue World 2026 will be held in Milan.
On September 22, Vogue World Milano 2026 will be broadcast live across all international Vogue editions.
Based on material from vogue.com