In the land of dreams, Robert Wun is a maestro… Born in Hong Kong, the designer grew up immersed in cinema and its scenes where the imagination breaks free from reality. From a very early age, films became an escape for him: a space where emotions run deeper and where stories allow themselves every extravagance. As a teenager, he discovered another possible language in which to express his boundless creativity: clothing. Fascinated by the possibility of telling stories through silhouettes, he decided to make it his career.
Following his studies at the London College of Fashion, where he closely studied the Alexander McQueen fashion shows, he launched his eponymous label in 2014, determined to turn his dreams into haute couture. His dramatic, cinematic world quickly attracted attention, leaving a lasting impression with the now-legendary ‘Bleeding Love’ dress. In 2023, he reached a new milestone by being included in the official calendar of the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode. Today, Robert Wun invites us behind the scenes of his imagination.
Exclusive interview with Robert Wun:
Tom Kuntz: You grew up in Hong Kong before moving to London. Would you say that this geographical and cultural shift has had an impact on the way you envisage couture today?
Robert Wun : I’m not sure if there’s really a direct link to my inspirations. Certainly, my work ethic stems from my upbringing in Hong Kong. The same goes for my rejection of superficiality and of what is "merely beautiful". Conversely, London allowed me to discover what I loved doing and who I was as a person. But looking at what I do today, I think that this artistic language has always existed in my imagination.
Could you tell us a bit more about your background and what led you to set up your own fashion house?
R.W. : I realised I was really interested in fashion when I was about 12 or 13. At the time, a friend of mine attended the same family church as me. She was studying fashion and introduced me to the idea of becoming a designer myself. My parents felt that if I wanted to pursue a career in a creative field, it would be best for me to leave Hong Kong for London. I left when I was 16.
I studied at the London College of Fashion and learnt the realities of the profession: the know-how, the skills, the craftsmanship. After graduating, I worked for about two years for various designers and even for magazines, where I was in charge of visual direction. Then I launched my own label in 2014.
Speaking of which, when you founded your label, what was your biggest challenge?
R.W.: I expected it to be difficult. Initially, I had a fairly conventional view of what a traditional fashion house is: a model based on wholesale, showrooms, presentations, boutiques… But the real crux of the matter was finding my place, showing everyone who I was.
Since then, would you say that fashion has become a narrative medium, a way of telling your story or simply your whole life?
R.W. : Fashion is like a book in which I write my story with my imaginary characters, my thoughts and my dreams. But I wouldn’t say it’s my whole life, to be honest. In my view, you can’t bring anything new to the industry if you only see things through its lens. The world is much vaster. It has many facets, ideas and other realities. And although fashion is very all-consuming, and I love and respect it, I always try to take a step back to see what’s missing and what I can bring to it.
Your fashion shows resemble fragmented narratives, like scenes from a film. Do you conceive of a collection as a screenplay, with a dramatic progression between the looks?
R.W. : I think so, because I’ve always loved films immensely. They allow me to escape and explore new worlds. The key thing when I’m putting on a fashion show isn’t just to show beautiful things. It’s important that the audience feels something, hence the dramatic progression. I learnt this whilst studying, particularly from the work of‘Alexander McQueen. I also feel that, as a relatively new designer, if you want to convince people that you deserve your place, you have to show that you’re pushing things further than others are prepared to go.
Let’s talk about your Spring/Summer 2026 collection. It has been described as ‘mental cinema’, where each silhouette embodies a character worthy of a Robert Wun’s Alice in Wonderland. Can you tell us more about it?
R.W.: The entire collection is an attempt to capture that state, at once dreamlike and conflicted, that one feels when working as a designer. From the early days to moments of hesitation, through the fear of failure, the industry’s expectations and courage. It’s something very personal, born of my imagination. Perhaps even my own creative journey. The first silhouettes are entirely in black and white, like neutral photocopies representing pure imagination.
Then the collection evolves towards what I call "the confrontation with luxury". This is when diamonds, jewellery and other precious elements appear. The same goes for colour, which represents the moment when reality hits the designer. Finally, the last section is entitled "The courage to go into battle". The figures become symbolic warriors. For, after the dream and the confrontation with reality, only one thing remains: the courage to continue being a designer.
In your view, has the profession changed?
R.W. : Radically. For a start, the word "designer" has lost its value. Before, we used to pay attention to other people’s work. Today, nobody has the time: not just for designers, but for everyone. If you don’t grab people’s attention within five seconds, you become insignificant. This completely changes the way we work.
You have to create excitement, make a lasting impression as quickly as possible. Everything rests on the designer’s shoulders. And yet, it’s as if that’s no longer enough. Instead of our collections, people are waiting to see who’s going to fail, who’ll be the next to be sacked. In a way, that’s also what I wanted to convey in my latest collection.
Haute couture is traditionally associated with beauty and perfection. Yet, in your art, there is a tension between aesthetics, unease and drama. Why do you cultivate this so much?
R.W. : I think there’s a very important difference between the clothing industry and the fashion industry. Clothing is about creating something that people want to buy and wear every day. But then, what is fashion? Historically, the great names, such as Dior or Balenciaga, were couturiers. And what is a couturier? Someone who dreams and must inspire others to dream. They push the boundaries of the art of making clothes. And that inevitably involves emotion.
Extraordinary designers before me have already expressed this through their creations. The real question is rather: why does it seem so new today? Perhaps because there aren’t enough people left who believe that fashion should convey something deeper than simply making money and being aesthetically pleasing.
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Your work has a very conceptual dimension, but it never veers entirely into costume design. How do you maintain that balance between spectacle and haute couture?
R.W.: It’s a very fine line. The essential elements are desirability and execution. A garment can be very theatrical, but if it has these two aspects, it remains within the realm of couture. The worst thing, for me, would be to be so boring that nobody cares.
One of your most striking images remains your blood-splattered dress, the ‘Bleeding Love’ dress. What’s the story behind this now-iconic silhouette?
R.W.: The collection is called "For Love". I was exploring the idea of what we’re willing to do for love. For the Bleeding Love look, I reflected on the true meaning of marriage: accepting love also means accepting the possibility of being hurt one day. Love isn’t measured solely by happiness. It’s also measured by pain and sadness. I wanted to bring these two opposing ideas together. So I imagined a bride walking down the aisle, towards that pivotal moment that symbolises both the acceptance of love and the acceptance that one day her heart might be broken, literally bleeding. That’s where the idea for this particular dress came from.
Your aesthetic is now very distinctive. But for a young fashion house, the challenge is not to become trapped by its own signature style. Is it difficult to reinvent your identity every season?
R.W.: It will always be a challenge. You ask yourself: What am I going to do next? Which new direction should I explore? But I also think people sometimes forget that good things take time. I believe that when you’re true to yourself and create not just for the sake of technique, but also to build a language, the possibilities become endless. You’re building a story, and a story has unlimited potential. You just have to do it with conviction. And if it’s sincere, it will always reflect who you are.
If your home were a book, which chapter in the story of Robert Wun have we just read with this spring–summer collection?
R.W. : That’s a very good question. I’d say perhaps… the end of the first chapter.
And do you still have things in mind to surprise us?
R.W. : Yes, I feel I still have things to say. I’m very excited about exploring new directions in the coming chapters. The end of one chapter and the beginning of another is a moment of transition, perhaps bringing a fresh perspective, new characters and new ideas. I wouldn’t say it’s so much about surprising people. Rather, these are things I’ve wanted to do for a long time, but hadn’t yet found the right moment for. Now, the time has come. And I can’t wait to see where this takes us as we head towards 2027.
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An exclusive interview with Robert Wun, founder and creative director of Robert Wun, from issue 15 of OniriQ Magazine.
Article written by Tom Kuntz, featured in issue 15 of OniriQ Magazine
Translated by Bethszabee Garner
