5 Things To Know About Robert Wun, The Designer Who Won The Met Gala

The Met Gala is inarguably fashion's biggest night of the year. The first Monday of May, entertainment's brightest gather on the Metropolitan Museum of Art's steps to celebrate fashion, art, and our most-lauded designers of the moment. And while the larger houses often have the biggest tables and presence, once in a while, someone else will cut through the noise with their designs alone. This year, that someone was Robert Wun, the Hong Kong born couturier responsible for countless best-dressed moments on the 2026 Met Gala red carpet.

In honor of Wun's incredible red carpet sweep—and that Met curator Andrew Bolton has added three of Wun’s works to the exhibition’s permanent collection—here are five things to know about the designer who won this year's Met Gala.

Back in 2023, Robert Wun recieved a unanimous vote from the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode, which fast-tracked the London-based designer to show his first-ever runway show on the official Haute Couture calendar at Paris Fashion Week. After graduating from the London College of Fashion and launching his namesake brand in 2014, Wun's career changed overnight after mentorship from Bruno Pavlovsky, Chanel’s President of Fashion, and glowing endorsements from other high-profile fashion industry folks.

Naomi Osaka has always had a strong tie to fashion, but when she arrived at the 2026 Australian Open in January, her veiled on-court look caused quite a stir. Collaborating with Wun, the tennis player wore a tiered, pleated mini skirt layered over wide-legged trousers, topped with a gauzy veil that floated from a white wide-brimmed hat. She accessorized with a parasol, which was adorned with butterflies (as was the hat).

One thing about Robert Wun is that his ties to female athletes is strong. In 2023, the designer's first foray into a Met look was with Eileen Gu, the skier and Olympic medalist who wore a white satin wine stained wedding gown designed by the couturier.

For this year's Met Gala, Wun undertook the massive task of creating custom looks for eight attendees, including Lisa Manoban, Naomi Osaka, and Jordan Roth. Across the multiple looks, a theme emerged of limbs and hands. For Manoban's look, Wun's team created 3D-scans of her arms, draping them in an embellished veil inspired by traditional Thai dance positions. For Roth, his high necked velvet gown was accompanied by a mannequin-like sculpture embracing him from behind. Thai consultant and editor Nichapat Suphap wore a black mermaid silhouette gown, which was reportedly inspired by Michelangelo’s The Creation of Adam fresco painting. Together with kinetic artist Casey Curran, the artist created the moving hands that were pinned across the bodice. 

Building on his Spring 2023 couture language for Osaka's 2026 Met Gala look, Wun returned to the exploration of garments that appear sliced open to reveal what sits beneath. On the carpet, Osaka arrived in a structured white coat with feathered details erupting from the openings to mimic blood. At the top of the steps, Osaka then removed her coat, revealing a red, sequin dress in an abstract interpretation of human anatomy, aligning with the exhibition ideas of “The Naked Body” and “The Classic Body.”