Robert Wun’s creative process is a little bit like journaling, he said backstage ahead of his second couture show in Paris, his surrealist creations on the runway a little peek into the workings of his mind. Horror movies, for one, are a big inspiration, informing moody surrealist silhouettes. “I love movies, and certain horror genres I don’t really find scary; they’re actually really poetic,” he said.
A gown in ash-colored tulle was paired with a wide-brimmed felt hat with burn holes, while another looked to be engulfed in flames. Face coverings enhanced the dehumanization of several looks. One of his bridal ensembles – there were several in his “For Love” lineup – was embroidered with crystals to resemble freshly glistening blood-stains. A coat was covered in jagged shards of glass, a reference to Trinity in “The Matrix.” “It’s inspired by what she does for love, she sacrifices everything,” he explained. Armor-like designs in heavily structured satin, meanwhile, were inspired by the death of the designer’s grandmother.
The collection was something of a retrospective, looking back over 10 years since he created his brand. There were reprisals of now-familiar silhouettes, but with a more confident hand, proof the designer is hitting his stride, of which there was also plenty sitting front row.
The opening looks, in charcoal wool, were embroidered with crystals that, from a distance, looked to be realistic raindrops pooling on the fabric, or dripping off the edges of a broad-brimmed felt hat. From umbrella hats and beaked helmets to sculpted hand headpieces that clasped the face, his imaginative headwear merited a special mention. The final look, a dramatic red bustier gown, featured a matching mannequin emerging from the waist at the rear, perched over the model’s shoulders like the weight of the subconscious.
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