Vogue World: How Fashion’s Coolest Show Became a Cultural Phenomenon
By Kevin Marsden (IG @kevinmarsden_)
So, what exactly is Vogue World? In short: a fashion show turned urban spectacle, a traveling celebration that merges runway, music, theater, and dance, while raising funds for local causes. Since its debut, the project has donated over $3 million to community programs. It’s all about impact.
Photo: Pascal Le Segretain | Courtesy of Getty Images
The first edition, in 2022, turned Manhattan into an open-air runway to celebrate Vogue’s 130th anniversary: a block-party-meets-fashion-fair featuring Howard University dancers, Fendi baguettes, and a high-energy performance by Lil Nas X. It set the tone for what Vogue World would become: fashion + pop culture + city energy, all live.
In 2023, the show crossed the Atlantic to London’s Theatre Royal Drury Lane, embracing full-on theater mode. Annie Lennox sang “Sweet Dreams,” Sophie Okonedo and Tom Sturridge performed Shakespeare, and the original supermodels reunited on stage, a night of nostalgia, power, and style.
Vogue World 2024 | Photo: Victor Boyko Courtesy of Getty Images
By 2024, Vogue World: Paris took over Place Vendôme with a fashion-meets-sports extravaganza: 683 looks, dancers, athletes, and live orchestras arranged by decade. Bad Bunny hit the stage, while Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid rode horseback through the square, an instant iconic moment. It proved the event could go global without losing its spark.
Now, Vogue World: Hollywood (October 26, 2025) brings the show back to the U.S., paying tribute to the timeless bond between fashion and film at Paramount Studios. At a March press conference at the Chateau Marmont, Anna Wintour announced that the event will celebrate L.A.’s resilience after the devastating wildfires — with 100% of ticket proceeds going to the Entertainment Community Fund to support film-industry workers, especially costume designers who lost their homes. Planned before the disaster, the event has evolved into a purpose-driven spectacle, blending runway, dance, and live performances with film and costume exhibits and couture collections — “like a full day on set,” as Wintour described it.
On the fashion front, houses like McQueen, Louis Vuitton, Miu Miu, Alaïa, Marc Jacobs, Valentino, and Balmain will reinterpret cinematic classics through couture. The launch event featured Nicolas Ghesquière, actress Taylor Russell, and California’s governor Gavin Newsom, with Hailey Bieber, Kendall Jenner, and Cara Delevingne among the guests. Backstage, Pat McGrath Labs returns as the official makeup partner, Fatima Robinson leads choreography, and the creative direction is helmed by Juan Costa Paz, with Mark A. Ritchie overseeing the live broadcast.
Anna Wintour, Nicolas Ghesquière and others at the Announcement | Photo Courtesy of Vogue
At its core, Vogue World is a signature project of the Anna Wintour era. This global format fuses fashion, art, and community while re-establishing Vogue as a cultural creator, not just a magazine. More than a “final project,” it’s the living summary of her legacy: a bridge between the runway and mass culture, mixing spectacle with purpose.
It also fits Vogue’s new strategy of investing in live experiences and events to diversify revenue and reignite the creative economy after the pandemic, strikes, and fires.
Sabrina Carpenter walking at Vogue World Paris 2024 | Photo Courtesy of Getty Images
Born as a runway festival, Vogue World has grown into a global cultural franchise that moves cities, talent, and conversations. This October 26, it lands in Hollywood, reminding us that fashion isn’t just about clothes, it’s about storytelling, emotion, and the power to move both hearts and culture.