ON WITH THE SHOW: The Savannah College of Art and Design is giving the designer Robert Wun a major lift with his first solo museum exhibition.
Following Thursday’s opening reception at the school’s FASHION Museum of Fashion + Film in Atlanta, “Robert Wun: Between Reality and Fantasy” will be on view through April 24.
The London-based designer has pulled 40-plus garments from his archives, runway shows and celebrity commissions. Lizzo, Solange Knowles, Issa Rae, Lady Gaga, Celine Dion, Fan BingBing and Cardi B are some of the boldface names that have worn Wun’s dramatic and conceptual designs. Inclusivity and women’s empowerment are undercurrents in his designs.
In late September, Naomi Campbell helped to raise Wun’s profile among the fashion ranks by wearing a striking blue pleated dress that Wun designed to announce the official opening of London Fashion Week. Wun was part of On/Off’s roster for its fall edition. His sculptural work was first featured in the platform for on-the-rise designers in 2016.
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Wun was unavailable for an interview Wednesday, according to a SCAD FASH spokesperson. He will be leading a virtual talk from his London studio Thursday. Wun is planning to visit SCAD in the early part of next year for a more proper celebratory reception.
The designer previously collaborated with the film director Wong-Kar-Wai and created select costumes. He served as a guest designer for “Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2,” with actress Elizabeth Banks wearing one of his nature-inspired asymmetric dresses as the character “Effie Trinket.” Wun has created a “Spotted Orchid” dress among other imaginative designs.
Wun said in a statement, “Witnessing the timeline of my growth as a designer is an honor. I am so proud of the incredible set design that beautifully echoes the Robert Wun brand an aesthetic”
After graduating from the London College of Fashion in 2012, the Hong Kong-born designer started his own label two years later. Women’s wear, shoes and accessories are among his offerings that borrow from science fiction and elements of nature for design inspiration. A 2016 nominee for the International Woolmark Prize, Wun was commissioned by the Royal Ballet for the Wayne McGregor 10th-anniversary show in November 2016. For that occasion, he worked with choreographer Charlotte Edmonds for her piece “META.”
The new exhibition will feature designs from Wun’s collections through the years, including his latest ones. Rafael Gomes, director of fashion exhibitions at SCAD FASH, said, “It is incredible what he has accomplished on a global level as a young designer, and he is quite the inspiration to our students.”
Fashion fans can find another key exhibition at SCAD FASH Museum of Fashion + Film. Photographer Robert Fairer has delved into his vast archives for “Robert Fairer Backstage Pass: Dior, Galliano, Jacobs and McQueen.” The exhibition, which will be up through April 16, highlights the London-based lensman’s behind-the-scene shots of runway looks created by the designers, including numerous images that are being shown for the first time.