Vogue World 2026: Milano is a celebration of all things Italian and artisanal, and the dominating beauty look on the runway did just that, combining contemporary trends with the brushstrokes of Raphael, Botticelli, and Ghirlandaio.
Taking place in the iconic Galleria within Milan’s beating historic and cultural heart, the first act focused on the legacy of Italy’s great artisans and inventors. The Renaissance era was resplendently represented. To create all of the looks for the show, Dame Pat McGrath led the makeup design and execution; Cyndia Harvey led hairstyling; and Eri Narita led nail styling.
Let’s take a closer look at the glam-gone-by that dominated the Duomo for Vogue World 2026: Milano.
Artful blush stacking
As models like Gigi Hadid and Mariacarla Boscono began to make their way down the runway, it became clear that blush took its cues from the works of great painters like Raphael, whose faces are defined by harmonious proportions, gentle and serene expressions, and soft contouring. (In art, it’s called sfumato—a painting technique that gently blends tones together.) A reddish hue flushed the cheeks of the models strutting the catwalk, care of McGrath and her team.
At the time, the rosy visage often seen in Renaissance paintings came with a dual meaning. It spoke to once contemporary aesthetic standards for purity and youth, while also expressing emotions like shyness, modesty, vitality, and love—the so-called “moves of the soul” (moti dell’animo or moti mentali), an artistic and scientific theory from Leonardo da Vinci that proposed external physical gestures or facial expressions are the visible reflection of a person’s inner mental and emotional state.
Photo: Getty Images
Titian red is one of the most recognizable colors of the many red pigments used by the masters of Renaissance art, a shade that came from natural sources such as vermilion.
At the same time, the blush felt distinctly modern. It appears on the face like an aura—a cloud of pink pigment that envelops the temples and the area around the brow bone. To make the blush glow even more brightly, white eye shadow was applied to the upper eyelid. At the inner corner of the eye and along the lower lash line, a generous sweep of pearlescent white highlighter was set to make the eyes appear wide.
Braids, bobs, and Botticelli hair
Photo: Getty Images
