The rise of humanoid robots in fashion: Where it’s happening and why it matters
In Shanghai, humanoid robots transcend fashion’s hype, reimagining design, challenging beauty norms, and unlocking metaverse opportunities
Remember when Shalom Harlow was spray-painted live on the runway by an industrial robot during Alexander McQueen’s Spring/Summer 1999 show? And how about when Chanel transformed the Grand Palais into a data centre, with the late Karl Lagerfeld sending models down the runway as sleek, robotic avatars for his SS17 ready-to-wear collection? Let’s not forget HRP-4C’s stiff yet symbolic debut in Tokyo back in 2009, or when Maggie Maurer cradled a crystal-encrusted AI baby at Schiaparelli’s SS24 Haute Couture show. And who could overlook Coperni’s cybernetic spectacle starring Boston Dynamics’ Spot robot dogs, strutting beside human models during their Autumn/Winter 2023–24 presentation in Paris?
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Those moments were just the beginning. The convergence of fashion and technology has taken a bold step forward—this time extending well beyond the studios of Paris, Milan, New York or Tokyo. At the Autumn/Winter 2025–26 Shanghai Fashion Week, the spotlight was firmly on Unitree Robotics, whose humanoid and quadrupedal machines took centre stage at the NMTG fashion show. Their presence marked a clear turning point in the ongoing evolution of human-machine collaboration in fashion. Adding to the momentum, Qingbao Robot also presented its humanoid model “Xiao-Die” at the event, underscoring that this is no longer an isolated experiment but rather a genuine, emerging trend.
China at the Forefront of a Cultural and Technological Fusion
The integration of humanoid robotics and fashion signals a broader shift in the convergence of previously distinct industries, and it is noteworthy that China has emerged as a key player in this evolution. The country combines innovation, a rapidly advancing robotics sector, and a growing influence in the fashion scene, creating an ideal environment for this fusion of technology and artistic expression.
Cities like Shanghai serve as not only manufacturing and engineering hubs but also centres of cultural experimentation, where tradition and futurism meet in a strikingly fluent manner.
What Unfolded at Shanghai Fashion Week AW25
The NMTG Autumn/Winter 2025 collection made a powerful debut, positioning itself not just as a runway show but as a manifesto for cultural continuity through innovation. It demonstrated that high fashion can co-exist with technological advancement without sacrificing heritage or environmental consciousness.
Entitled “Opacarophile”—a term that refers to someone who appreciates the interplay of light and water—the collection explored the fluidity between past and future. Designer Christine incorporated Ewenki tribal motifs with zero-waste techniques, including Nine-Eye Rope (a Chinese intangible cultural heritage braiding technique), upcycled deadstock fabrics woven into patchwork textures, plant-based leathers, and eco-conscious materials under the Renew label. The result was a series of silhouettes that combined minimalist tailoring with rich handwoven detail, creating what can be described as a “temporal folding” effect.
But What Purpose Do Humanoid Robots Serve in Fashion Beyond the Hype?
At Shanghai Fashion Week, humanoid robots like Unitree’s G1 and Qingbao’s “Xiao-Die” made appearances that extended beyond mere spectacles. While it is tempting to dismiss them as headline-grabbing novelties, their presence on the runway raises important questions about the evolving nature of creativity, production, and human-machine interaction. Far from being gimmicks, these robots are becoming experimental platforms that allow designers and technologists to explore the future of fashion in its many dimensions, from aesthetics to ethics.
For this reason, Shanghai provided more than just an impressive stage; it offered a lens through which we can examine how fashion is adapting to the age of automation, artificial intelligence, and digital expression. The integration of robots into runway shows not only reflects the growing convergence between fashion and tech but also invites us to reconsider the values underpinning beauty, craft, efficiency and innovation.
Here are four compelling reasons why humanoid robots may have a lasting role in fashion’s narrative:
- Aesthetic Reinvention: Designing Beyond the Human Form
Humanoid robots introduce a new design challenge and opportunity by shifting the focus away from the traditional human silhouette. Their mechanical anatomy, articulated joints, and unconventional proportions require designers to rethink garment structure, movement, and material behaviour.
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For example, during the NMTG show, Unitree’s G1 robot, equipped with 30 to 40 articulated joints, modelled custom attire that played with movement and structure in entirely new ways. The robot’s ability to execute precise gestures, such as turning, pausing, and acknowledging the audience, transformed fashion into a form of kinetic sculpture.
In another instance, Qingbao’s “Xiao-Die” showcased its ability to perform micro-expressions, introducing an unexpected emotional nuance to the runway by mimicking subtle human gestures and facial cues with surprising precision. These advancements challenge traditional design principles, prompting creators to reconsider not only how garments move and communicate but also how they are interpreted when worn by beings that are humanoid but not human. This rethinking extends to fabric selection, structural design, and ergonomic compatibility with robotic anatomies. As a result, designers begin to push the conceptual boundaries of fashion, transforming it from a medium tailored solely to the human body into a language capable of dressing new, intelligent embodiments.
- Fostering Human-Robot Collaboration From Runway to Production and Retail
At NMTG, Unitree’s G1, which premiered during the 2025 Spring Festival Gala, walked alongside human models, presenting a compelling vision of coexistence between species. However, the implications reach far beyond the catwalk.
In retail, humanoid robots are already reshaping the customer experience, reportedly improving conversion rates by up to 30% while lowering staffing costs. In manufacturing, AI-assisted robots are streamlining quality control and enabling agile assembly, providing solutions to labour shortages in the textile sector. Nevertheless, this trend also raises urgent ethical questions, particularly regarding the potential replacement of human roles that require creativity or emotional intelligence.
- Challenging Beauty Norms
The inclusion of humanoid robots in fashion shows sparks a broader conversation about authenticity, beauty and representation. Although robotic models may lack the emotional depth of their human counterparts, they provide an opportunity to disrupt established norms. These robots can showcase forms that are non-binary, post-human, or otherwise marginalised in mainstream fashion imagery.
In doing so, they question the traditional notions of beauty in fashion, expanding the definition to embrace diversity and otherness.
- Paving Way for Future Trajectories: The Metaverse of Fashion
Looking ahead, humanoid robots may act as a bridge between the physical and virtual realms of fashion. AI avatars may be able to replicate catwalk performances in the metaverse, giving audiences around the globe the opportunity to engage with fashion in real time. Moreover, haptic feedback technologies may eventually allow these robots to mimic the texture of fabrics, transforming online shopping into a tactile and immersive experience.
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However, achieving these potentials involves overcoming significant challenges, including issues related to energy efficiency, mechanical durability, data privacy and regulatory oversight.
Why Humanoid Robots Are Becoming Key Players in Fashion’s Next Chapter
Following the NMTG show, audiences praised the “poetic clash” between tradition and futurism. The robot’s seamless presence on the runway underscored the broader theme of Shanghai Fashion Week AW25–26: “Shaping New Dimensions, Building the Unseen.”
The rise of humanoid robotics in fashion is not just a technological trend; it represents a cultural reckoning. By combining the precision of engineering with artistic vision, these machines are transforming how fashion is conceived, presented, and consumed. The challenges—ethical, aesthetic, and operational—are very real. However, the opportunities, from AI-driven design tools to digital-physical integration, suggest that the future of fashion may lie not in replacing humans but in reimagining what human creativity looks like in the age of machines.