Robert Wun on Hong Kong homecoming, London and the meaning of couture

This week marked the first time London-based designer Robert Wun had brought his now synonymous theatricality to the runway in his home region of Hong Kong. Ahead of the anticipated occasion, the city itself had been brimming with excitement, and as such bestowed upon him the honour of being the first designer to host a fashion show in the Hong Kong Palace Museum. Here, to a crowd of industry professionals and dedicated fans, Wun curated a selection of some of his most celebrated looks, which floated down the runway amid a crimson red backdrop, in what looked to reflect his decade long journey in the industry

The collection followed the theme of ‘Home’, a reference to his past growing up in Hong Kong before moving to London and to the highly personal memories he garnered during his childhood that continue to influence his designs today. The show was organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and was further sponsored by the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency, (CCIDA), which is behind the ongoing trade fair Centrestage. In fact, Wun’s show kicked off the event, – currently being held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre – as part of Centrestage Elites, a programme dedicated to platforming notable Hong Kong designers.

Alongside celebrating his brand’s 10th anniversary, Wun’s participation in the initiative hopes to underline the rising prominence of emerging names from the region, something the designer himself has also become more aware of, particularly as the local government ramps up support for the creative industry. Still buzzing from the show earlier this week, Wun sat down with local and international media in a press conference on September 5 ahead of his Centrestage Elites Master session at the fair. During the discussion, Wun spoke of this shift among the local industry.

A celebration of 10 years for the Hong Kong-born designer

“Before I went to the UK [where Wun currently operates his design studio, ed.], no one knew that there were new designers in China, but actually in the whole of Central Asia, including South Korea and Thailand, many places have their own system of new designers. Many local people know that they’re developing in their country or city before the rest of the world does. It’s just a matter of the designers focusing on their own language first. That’s why I think it’s so important to have a system that’s so unique to Hong Kong,” Wun said.

The designer noted that he was able to attend events such as Centrestage due to backing from HKTDC and the government, which he said had a firm strategy to fund and promote platforms for creatives in the city. “There are many talented people in Hong Kong. The work ethic, the city and the culture-building are all resourceful,” he added, before noting that competition in the Hong Kong market is also getting bigger, presenting both challenges and opportunities to those looking to rise up the ladder.

Wun is of course no stranger to the atmosphere of competitiveness, having moved to London to pursue his fashion career and where he continues to operate the majority of his business. It is the competitiveness of the British city, in fact, that he cited as one of the greatest challenges he had faced upon being based there, with emerging designers often battling it out to garner the limited attention of certain institutions that could certify and uplift them in order to gain access to the necessary platforms. One thing that had opened the industry up, however, was the introduction of social media, which Wun said had brought in a new sense of independence for young designers and helped him personally transition as a brand.

The biggest transition, however, was when Wun moved from ready-to-wear to couture, a shift that may not have been possible without the mentoring of Chanel CEO Bruno Pavlovsky. The duo came into contact when Wun was nominated for the prestigious Andam Award in 2022, for which he ultimately took home the Prix Spécial. It was during this time, after already seven years in the ready-to-wear industry, that Wun said doors really began to open for him. Pavlovsky, together with the French Fashion Federation, steered him towards couture, leading him to nabbing a spot on the Haute Couture Week line up.

The move into couture was, in-part, strategic for Wun, who called it a “business model choice”. Much of this decision came down to the saturation of the ready-to-wear market, particularly in Paris, where the biggest obstacle for new designers with limited budgets and connections is capturing a continuous and interested audience. Yet, during his Master talk at Centrestage, the designer also said that as the wholesale market dried up during the pandemic, he and his team sought out other solutions.

Couture is taking a new form under the direction of emerging designers

In the conversation, Wun elaborated on his initial understanding of the term couture – “high-end custom-making” using the “most exquisite materials and the highest format of craft to tailor-make something for a client” – however, he noted that while this may be the textbook definition, new designers entering the couture landscape were bringing the concept forward to redefine what its future will be. “Most importantly for me, it is the ability to storytell even further [than ready-to-wear], so it’s no longer just a halfway concept,” he continued. “You can create a show, you can create an experience and, more importantly, you can let a piece speak.”

The question also arose as to how new technologies are influencing his way of design. However, while open to possibilities, Wun emphasised the importance of retaining knowledge for traditional craftsmanship, and as such balancing techniques – the designer merges functions like 3D model renderings and various innovative printing methods into his more traditional approach to design. “It’s important to understand the traditional craftsmanship, but also looking into the newer elements of making a project,” he expanded. “I don’t believe in trying to do either extreme, you should just follow the story of the brand – whether it’s traditional, futuristic or avant-garde.”

There is no denying, however, that the world of couture is changing, and rapidly at that. This, Wun feels, has led to a sense of nostalgia for old systems and has left many uncomfortable with, among other things, the expansion of accessible platforms that have allowed a cohort of young designers to maintain an audience, despite not gaining support from industry institutions. “In the last 10 years, a lot of people have started to feel uncomfortable with the system, because they see something that their peers may not need in order for them to start finding their own place,” Wun said. “Social media has given us all a platform to be free and gives us all a chance to be independent from a certain society or power.”

Yet, at the core of it all, Wun recognises that to make it, challenges are an inevitable part of future success. Before the conclusion of the session, he stated: “It’s not easy at all, and often young designers are told that if it is easy, then it’s not worth it. You’ve got to prepare yourself – you need to look at [the industry], see how much you like it and if it is even worth going to that place. It was worth it to me.” What can be expected from Wun in the coming months remains vague, with the designer sworn to secrecy on upcoming projects. “What I can say is that we have projects lined up to 2026, which I’m very grateful for.”