Prominent Korean fashion designer Lie Sang Bong took it all off in front of the camera of a close friend.

Lee Yeop, who has been documenting Lie’s collections for the past 10 years, took 20 photos of Lie nude or covered with a body suit and accessories made by other artists.

It may not be as “scandalous” as when Yves Saint Laurent posed nude for his fragrance advertisement in 1971, but Lie’s bold performance attracted many people’s attention at the exhibition’s opening reception on Wednesday at Keumsan Gallery in northern Seoul. 

Lie’s close friends, celebrities and people in the fashion industry attended the opening event to discover Lie’s hitherto unknown side.

“I am a very shy person. I don’t even watch the TV interviews of myself or read newspaper or interview articles about me,” Lie told The Korea Herald.

“But I came completely naked in front of the camera to show what’s inside me,” said Lie, when asked what motivated him to pose nude.

Lie explained what he wanted to show were the conflicts raging inside of him.

“They are the struggles between truths and lies. I spell my last name as ‘Lie’ and it means what I began as a truth may not be what I meant,” said Lie.

Lee, the photographer, became internationally renowned with his Hangeul-themed collection at the 2006 Pret-A-Porter collection in Paris. He has established a reputation as one of the representative figures in Korean fashion.

The photographer presented three different themes “Line,” “Horror” and “Fantasy” that “represent the designer’s inner self.”

The photos don’t portray Lie in explicit poses, but rather highlight the sides of Lie that the designer wants to show to the world.

The photos with a whited-out background feature different facial expressions.

What captures the audience’s attention are the photos of Lie wearing alien-themed accessories such as a futuristic hat with tentacles and a body suit decorated with mother-of-pearl.

“I often imagine myself traveling on the moon or in space. I do that often when I prepare my collections. I think, ‘What if I make contact with aliens?’ I once used the extraterrestrial theme in my collection,” said Lie.

The exhibition of “Lie Sang Bong Nude Photography” runs through Feb. 16 at Keumsan Gallery, Seoul.

For more information, call (02) 3789-6317.

By Lee Woo-young (wylee@heraldcorp.com)