Lie Sang Bong
For around three decades, Lie Sang Bong has been like a galaxy in the Korean fashion universe. He has dressed the likes of Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, Juliette Binoche, Priscilla Wong and Olympic gold medallist Yuna Kim among others. He founded his eponymous brand in 1985, which is today an internationally renowned luxury fashion label.
Lie has primarily drawn inspiration from Korea’s rich artistic and literary history with a special focus on calligraphy, known as Seoye, and the Korean script, known as Hangul. He says that he feels very proud of his Hangul fashion and it is the brand’s “trademark”. Themes based on architectural designs such as Cubism and Bauhaus are also prominent in Lie’s designs. Many pieces in his collections undergo advanced technological processing such as laser-cutting and digital printing besides traditional techniques such as embroidery.
Lie designed the LG Electronics’ limited edition Cyon Shine mobile phone in 2007, one of the first such collaborations between a fashion designer and a mobile phone company. He also designed the uniforms for the A1 Grand Prix Korean national team in 2008. He holds a special place in influential Korean culture which is evident from the fact that he has also served as the president of Council of Fashion Designers of Korea (CFDK) and the cultural ambassador of Seoul.
His brand debuted at New York Fashion Week in 2014 with Fall/Winter collection, which came after it spent 12 years displaying its high-end clothing in Paris. His Spring/Summer 2018 collection is an eclectic mix of pink, blue, black and white with dots, prints and leather as highlights. The collection also pays homage to early 20th century Chinese Qi Baishi with dresses like the black-and-white long jacket and organza long blouse, inspired by his art. Lie’s legacy is being carried forward by his children, Chung Chung Lee and Nana Lee, who founded the affordable fashion wear label LIE in 2011 as a breakaway line.
Address: 59, Centumnam-daero, Haeundae-gu, Busan
Founders: Lie Sang Bong
Founded: 1985
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/liesangbong/
