For his second appearance on the Paris couture calendar, Robert Wun more or less picked up where he left off, expanding on ideas like last season’s blood-splattered dresses with new proposals drawn mainly from his favorite films. It was also an exercise in gratitude, he said, as this year marks the 10th anniversary of his brand.
“It’s a very strong reflection of how far I’ve come, and I’m also grateful that I never gave up,” he said backstage before his show. He also noted that he now feels more comfortable with the things he believes in, whether there is an obvious connection to fashion or not.
His opening number, a long black evening gown, was embroidered with crystals to striking effect, creating the appearance of streaks of rain. A jacket dress embroidered with mirrors gave a nod to the original Matrix. The poetry he sees in the horror genre returned in a blood-spattered wedding dress, an idea that found a new version in an embellished dress that seemed to seep in different colors, as if it had been embroidered with Gobstopper candies and left outside in a downpour.
Wun also demonstrated a mastery of draping, both with fabric (on a one-shoulder number in pink beige silk or a bright blue dress full of dramatic ruffles) and with beads (on a showstopper of a number with long black sleeves, a sheer skirt and rows of green beads on the front and back). He let his sense of humor flow all the time, whether it was with a relatively tame beaded headpiece and cat-eye glasses or surreal head adornments. One dress with pointed shoulders, flared bell sleeves and corset detailing came with a headpiece that made it look like a cross-pollination between Maleficent and a praying mantis.
The finale was also a clever play on the horror genre, with a human-shaped appendage seemingly detaching the model’s blood-red dress. Given the exuberance of clothes during this couture week, it’s entirely plausible that someone will appear in them at some point. Hopefully they don’t get a front row seat.
