The Tamesis
Robert Wun calls his haute couture collection “Courage: the desire to create and the courage to persevere.” The title sounds like it might involve heroic sacrifice, or at least existential angst. The show takes place at the Lido, a legendary cabaret venue known for its burlesque performances, lavish French dinners and champagne. Of course, one might expect feathers, sequins and a bit of Moulin Rouge chaos. In fact, Wun had other priorities.
“I needed a space big enough to capture video of a thunderstorm,” he explained quietly backstage, as if it was the most obvious request in the world. He loves thunderstorms. In his hometown of Hong Kong, typhoons are a regular occurrence, so a bit of thunder is basically background noise. His pleasure is staying indoors and watching the storm rage outside: essentially Netflix, but with better sound design.
In addition to his passion for meteorology, the series also explores the emotional rollercoaster of creation itself, unfolding as a three-act story. The opening chapter, “The Library,” represents dreams in their purest form, those dreams born quietly between the strict black and white pages of a book. For inspiration, Wun revisited his old fashion school sketchbooks, proving that homework pays off sooner or later. The result was a series of sculptural monochromatic silhouettes: Wun’s dramatic standards were unusually restrained, with precise silhouettes, slinky bodices, huge rounded bolero shoulders and long, flared skirts.
The most eye-catching one is a huge circular gown entirely encrusted with microglass beads. The piece weighs approximately 40 kilograms, roughly the size of a small adult. The model carried it with a calm nonchalance, as if a wearable dumbbell were no big deal at all. After all, couture is about courage. Obviously, the core muscles are strong.
The title of the second act is “Luxury: Reality Confronted,” which, translated from fashion jargon, means: You dream of being a designer and then immediately run head-on into a very expensive wall. This is the moment where ideals meet invoices, and your creative fantasies are stress-tested by the world of luxury, where success is shiny, elusive, and quite painful.
Here, Wun tackles the concept of pricelessness, and the troubling questions that come with it: Who decides what something is worth, and why is it more expensive than a small apartment? On the catwalk, this transformed into a horde of eccentric creatures in molded corsets, akin to the kind of high-jewellery displays typically guarded by sirens and intimidating salespeople. Diamond necklaces shimmer with ominous light, while masks entirely encrusted with crystals erase any remaining traces of human identity, because nothing says luxury like anonymity wrapped in diamonds.
A peak-breasted bodice in bold, bright colors was paired with a draped skirt with a tiered train that trailed behind like a dramatic afterthought.
The third and final act is titled “Brave,” and this is where Wun goes into full hero mode. According to him, it celebrates the sheer determination of its creators, who often hide behind the scenes, fighting externally and internally, with nothing but persistence, obsession and a very good cut. Here, weapons become metaphors, because apparently the bravest act is not slaying a dragon, but when the world keeps asking you: Why?
What comes on stage is a literal suit of gleaming silver armor, complete with a sword and somewhat shockingly, carried across the stage by an ominous creature who treats this metal-death situation with complete aplomb. Really, it’s just another day in the fashion world. A figure appears on a bodysuit whose print resembles a black-and-white anatomical sketch of a naked body, impressively muscular, it must be said. Against a backdrop of flashing lightning, the show ended with a veiled creature in a giant robe, completely sequined in a thunderstorm hue. It moved slowly across the stage before disappearing into the darkness, because no couture finale is complete without the feeling that something fabulous has just left the room.
Wun explains that the series depicts three emotional stages: being inspired, being desired, and finally having the courage to move forward. In a world that often questions whether fashion still reflects who we are, he believes it survives precisely because it reflects who we wish to be. In his view, haute couture is a dream, but also the ability to dream and the tenacious determination to persevere. All of this exists thanks to the courage of its creators and that pure, slightly crazy creative impulse.
In other words: the armor is on, the storm is raging, and the dream is intact. curtain.
