RUBY HUNG is Letting Its Hair Down

Words by Elizabeth Bolin

Photos by Kenna Kroge

On an unremarkable winter day in London, I found myself in a photo studio painted almost the exact same color as the rainy gray sky. However, unlike the drizzle, the scene inside the studio was far from mundane.

When she’s working, Ruby Hung is a whirling force of creative energy. The first thing I noticed about Hung was the three (or more?) hairbrushes that she was juggling as she prepped her designs to be photographed. Her process seemed to be a sort of kinetic state of becoming. Instead of having every ensemble meticulously planned, Hung experimented with the pieces and even asked for the advice of the room. “Does anyone have any glasses?” “Earrings or no earrings?” “Which gloves do you like better?” We all gave our opinions, but it was clear that the final choice was Hung’s, and rightfully so because she worked magic: turning clothing into fashion right before our eyes. 

Hung is the creator and designer of her brand RUBY HUNG. The brand was first launched in 2023 and has since been showcased in multiple London Fashion Weeks as well as been worn by artists like Tyla, FKA Twigs and Arca. Known for its signature hairy aesthetic, RUBY HUNG is now exploring its first ready-to-wear collection. 

The new collection is chic, but with an element of surprise. We still see the brand’s core features of sleek silhouettes, monochromatic shades and long flowing locks, but with added comfort and wearability. RUBY HUNG is letting its hair down. In a spontaneous interview for MERDE Magazine, I talked to Hung about the latest collection, her alter ego, and the evolution of her brand. 

Liz: Tell us about your brand. Who are the people behind RUBY HUNG? 

Ruby: RUBY HUNG is a team of four girls who truly believe in their dream and, most importantly, in having fun in what they do. RUBY HUNG is more than just a brand, it is a creative platform that welcomes individuals who are passionate and willing to explore and grow with us. We have worked with the same group of people since the beginning and people are the core of the brand. I am deeply grateful to my team, because without them, the brand would not be where it is today.

Liz: RUBY HUNG was first launched in 2023. You are now at a point where you’re no longer the new kid on the block. What have you learned through the process of running your brand and how has it evolved over the years? 

Ruby: Evolution-wise I feel like things have gotten more intentional. Back then, I would make a collection in one day and it was very fun. I feel like fashion should be fun! Nowadays people are taking the fun away from it and I hate that. At least for me, I want to keep my brand a creative and open space where other people can contribute ideas. 

Liz: What about the designs, how have they changed? The hair is a motif that has lasted throughout the years, but you also have these very clean, interesting silhouettes and silver metalwork. Was that all consistent? 

I love how you noticed that. I love silver. Silver is my thing and I love incorporating hardware into my designs. A lot of people think my brand is provocative. Which it was, that was the brand image, very edgy and provocative. But now I’m trying to tone it down into a softer side. I feel like as I evolve as a person, the brand grows with me. In the beginning, it was very aggressive and I had a lot of hate towards the world and I felt like I was always fighting the boundary. Now, I’m interested in working with the boundary but I keep constantly breaking it. 

Also, the hair will always be a huge part of the brand’s identity. Hair is very expressive. There’s no right or wrong with hair. If you’re sewing a garment, obviously you can’t sew the right seam to the wrong seam. But with hair, it’s very fluid and I love the way it flows and how you can layer it. It speaks for itself, I don’t have to do much. 

Liz: The brand is called RUBY HUNG, which is obviously your name. You said that the brand has grown with you, but do you feel like it’s a part of your inner identity? Or is it almost like an alter ego? 

Ruby:Definitely an alter ego. 

Liz: What is your alter ego expressing? 

Ruby: Hmmmm. Duality. I believe everyone has different sides. You shouldn’t have to pick just one side. My brand is performative but I also want to portray the soft side, which is what I’m doing now, focusing on the more fragile and more intimate.

One major thing about the collection is that it’s heavily styling-based. For example, we have a windbreaker. If you pair it with jeans, it would look very casual and sporty. But if you pair it with the satin long skirt that we have and with boots or something it would look more elegant, more formal and dressy. All of the pieces are meant to be layered and styled in different ways so people can get the most out of one piece of clothing.

Liz: What made you decide to transition into doing a ready-to-wear collection? 

Ruby: What I was doing before wasn’t very accessible. Everything was only one piece and everything was handmade in our London studio. So it’s just a tough way to run a business and maintain the quality. At the end of the day, we aren’t seamstresses, we are designers. I want more people to know about our brand and get to try our clothes. 

We’ve been known for creating “impractical” pieces for events or editorial occasions, often one-of-a-kind garments which retail for around £180-£600. For the ready-to-wear, we still keep the essence and design features of RUBY HUNG, but we changed it enough so the price point is adjusted. The Ready-To-Wear line retails for between £70–£300. Becoming more accessible and expanding our product range is something I’ve always dreamed of achieving. It feels like I’m conquering a new frontier. 

Liz: What was challenging or surprising about the process of this collection? 

Ruby: The timeline. This has been ongoing for a whole year. This is our first year so it took a bit more time to create all of these pieces. It’s quite frightening because you’re making a bunch of clothes and you don’t know if people will like them or buy them. That is frightening. But to be honest, I’m hopeful and confident because we get a lot of good feedback. It’s also quite challenging to maintain the flow of the collection and still maintain the quality. It took me almost 3 years to find a manufacturer, but now I found one and I trust them. 

Liz: Yeah, I imagine that it’s difficult having to let go of total control. 

Ruby: Exactly. That's why I started sourcing the material myself. The most important thing is that the customer feels comfortable and confident in what they’re wearing. If you’re feeling itchy, then you probably won’t feel comfortable or confident and so the sensation of wearing it is important to me because that’s the closest thing to your body. A lot of the time people aren’t wearing the clothes, but the clothes are wearing them. It’s more for flexing, it’s not for themselves. You should feel comfortable in whatever you’re wearing and be yourself more than fitting into certain norms or certain groups. That’s not what I stand for. 

Liz: What do you stand for then? Why do you design?

Ruby: Nowadays a lot of people want to be stylish, but they don’t have the time or the money to do that. I feel like my job is to put that on the table. I want to make people feel confident, but most importantly I want people to discover their true potential and who they can be. 

What comes next for RUBY HUNG? Whatever it is, RUBY HUNG will go about it in its own distinctive way. To those interested in entering the RUBY HUNG universe, the new collection will be available on March 9 at rubyhung.com or in-store at Retail Pharmacy in New York City.