Interview: Robert Wun

Robert Wun graduated from the prestigious London College of Fashion just four years ago and is already taking the luxury fashion world by storm with his bold visions for highend womenswear. From appearing in Vogue to presenting at London Fashion Week, the Hong Kong-born, Londonbased designer has found numerous ways to showcase his talents.

Wun’s biggest accomplishment to date is his recent nomination for the International Woolmark Prize, a global award for up-and-coming designers’ innovative use of Australian merino wool. Known for his cuttingedge designs and contemporary embellishments, Wun incorporates wool with the right amount of elegance and femininity. “I want futurism and excitement,” Wun says. “The merino wool collection is an interplay with sleek cuts and sculptural material, where every inch of the wearer’s skin can feel the softness of the fabric [without] lowering the empowerment and the flow of a bold, feminine look.”

Female empowerment is a key message inherent in Wun’s work. Inspired by Victorian-era corsets and crinolines, Wun uses striking cuts and strong shapes to emphasise female curves. This same aesthetic that once diminished a woman’s spirit and freedom, Wun reinvents to promote the modern-day, liberated woman. Wun tells us: “I want to define a new elegance and experiment with feminine shapes and curves – but translated through a modern perspective in which a woman does not need to look masculine in order to feel confident and empowered.”

Wun pictures the ideal woman wearing his designs as being peaceful yet powerful and channels this vision via a balance within his fashion. Growing up, he was fascinated by the harmony between extremes – artificial and organic, man and nature, black and white. As a result, his creations blend colours with an ombre effect, created by digital printings and hand dip-dyed works.

Ultimately, the goal of Wun’s fashion is to create a narrative, a space for female expression. “My statement of style is like a silent protest, telling a timeless story about the clothing and the wearer,” explains Wun. With his critical eye and taste for innovation, Wun is turning his gaze to the global stage, bringing fresh perspectives to women’s style one thread at a time.

Robert Wun robertwun.com.