Known for his theatrical, reality-defying looks, Robert Wun is one of my all-time favorite designers. And apparently I’m not alone in feeling that way, because eight celebrities showed up on the Met Gala red carpet last week in his designs.
Lisa’s gravity defying veil, Naomi Osaka’s slashed white coat and glittering muscular dress, Jordan Roth’s creepy mannequin companion, Audrey Nuna’s Jackson Pollock meets film noir ensemble, Gustav Magnar Witzøe’s monochromatic muscle suit, Ananya Birla’s kitchenware mask and Nichapat Suphap’s mechanical hands were all Wun’s creations.
Wun is relatively new on the fashion scene, having just launched his brand in 2014. It’s not every day you see such a young brand dominate an event as prestigious as the Met Gala. So why did so many celebrities eschew legacy brands to show up in Robert Wun?
The Met Gala’s changing dress code will always play to some designers’ strengths and test others’ weaknesses. This year’s dress code, “Fashion is Art,” was practically made for Wun.
The most obvious connection between Wun’s work and this year’s exhibition is the focus on the human form. Wun frequently references the body in his work, incorporating elements such as ghostly hands, blood red splatters and embroidered musculature.
But what really made Wun the winner of the night is his commitment to the idea of fashion as art. His work isn’t made for large-scale commercial consumption. It’s art that uses the human body as a canvas, pushing the boundaries of what clothing can be. While his creations are beautiful, they aren’t made just to be nice to look at. They’re sculptural feats that turn the beauty of the natural world into one-of-a-kind, wearable works of art.
Seeing a designer I love so much blow up on fashion’s biggest night is such a wonderful feeling, and I can’t wait to see what he does next.
Sartorial Onscreen 
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