IN CONVERSATION WITH ROBERT WUN

interview by MAREK BARTEK

You don’t have to be a fashion fanatic to know ROBERT WUN’S creations. Already an established couturier, Wun has captivated the industry and wide audiences on social media with his otherworldly collections, rooted in intricate concepts and elaborate craftsmanship. Despite having many viral moments, WUN doesn’t seem to chase them. Rather, he immerses himself in what he loves the most: the craft of making fashion.

Let’s start at the very beginning, because that’s also quite fascinating. What were you like when you were younger, and when did you have this moment of realisation that fashion, art and creativity brought you joy?

I don’t think there was any extraordinary part to me being a kid. I was just like any other kid growing up in Hong Kong. The only thing different was that I was very much into nature. While my peers played sports or games or went to the library, I would go into the long grass and deep bushes and catch insects. That was a huge hobby. At home we had terrariums and aquariums filled with whatever I caught, because Hong Kong is still quite tropical. It’s hot and humid, full of mantises, grasshoppers and all sorts of creatures. At school I was known as the kid with the insects and reptiles. 

My parents assumed I’d grow up to be a biologist. But as a teenager, that passion for nature turned into a passion for making. I still loved biology, but I became fascinated with building things for the human body and finding ways to translate the beauty I saw in nature into design. That’s really where it started. By the time I was 16 or 17, my parents had adjusted their expectations. Instead of a biologist, maybe I’d be a designer. They eventually sent me to the UK, thinking it was a better place than Hong Kong to pursue creative studies. And that’s how it all happened.

The theme of this issue is FANTASY. We live and work in a time when many people talk about a loss of creativity in fashion for the sake of selling as much as possible, and catering to as many people as possible. What does fantasy in fashion mean to you?

I don’t think fantasy has disappeared. It’s still here, but the way we perceive it has changed. Fashion today is so commercialised and transparent. Everyone wants numbers, engagement and reach. Previously there was still a veil, a curtain of mystery, and perhaps that allowed people to believe in the dream a little more. I always remind myself that the houses we now call “commercial” were not built on sales. They were built on fantasy. They became legends because their couturiers dared to create something no one else had. 

So, the question isn’t whether fantasy still exists. It’s whether we still have faith in it. And I worry sometimes we’ve lost that. Today we put too much belief in quick success, hype and viral moments. But fashion that truly matters isn’t built overnight. It takes sacrifice, obsession and craft. It takes the courage to disappear from the noise and be unseen in order to make something that lasts. And I believe that still matters. If a designer creates something truthful, something with substance, it will always cut through, maybe not instantly, but with time. That’s what fantasy is for me. Not escapism, but the courage to dream in a world that tells you to move faster. 

READ THE WHOLE INTERVIEW IN OUR PRINT ISSUE #13.

TEAM CREDITS:
photography by CHUCK REYES
creative direction ROBERT WUN
styling PATTI WILSON
hair ALI PIRZADEH
makeup VALENTINA LI
casting GO SEE