The Wun And Only

The key to Robert Wun's success is one of determination and self-awareness. With almost a decade of hard work, he has pioneered a singular vision, one that is true to himself

-  Jamie Lee

For successful designers, there is often a defining experience that takes them from zero to hero. These days, it takes the form of a post shared by alternative fashion platforms like Instagram account @upnextdesigner or a viral TikTok, like when Coperni sprayed a dress on Bella Hadid. For 31-year-old Robert Wun, who started his eponymous label in 2014, none of these occured. In fact, his big break took so long to happen that his story highlights the importance of sticking to your ethos and believing in yourself when no one else does. That is what Wun did for nine years, toiling in obscurity and building collections on three concise values: futurism, feminism and escapism.

Born in Hong Kong and brought up in a traditional middle-class family, Wun initially aimed to be a biologist. What would spark his interest in design was a chance encounter: “I met someone in church when I was a teenager, who was a few years older than me and did fashion design. She was the one that opened the door to fashion to me.”

At 16, he went to the United Kingdom to study fashion design at the esteemed London College of Fashion. His graduate collection “Burnt” embraced and translated perfection and symmetry, concepts he couldn’t control, into fashion. It was a process that foreshadowed much of what was to come in his career.