Josephine Lee’s playful take on fashion is a breath of fresh air. The Korean-American model and visual artist, known online as Princess Gollum, transforms herself completely through her elaborate costumes and makeup art.
Inspired by the noughties, goth aesthetic, and anything weird, her moniker suits her perfectly. “Gollum represents the internal conflicts of any mortal; two polar opposite personalities, contradicting yet coexisting,” she explained in an interview with Something Curated. “I chose Gollum because I wanted to highlight what I identified with so heavily as a child, as well as crowning his name with princess to add a twinkle.”
Her Instagram presence has caught the attention of tens of thousands of followers, as well as brands like Opening Ceremony, Milk Makeup, Obey, and Drink This Milk.
“I think pushing the boundaries of society’s beauty standard is very important,” she explained. “I think being able to express myself in this medium, being a foot smaller than the average model’s height and not having professional modeling background, is what thrills me the most. I’m happy to see more and more media representation of people who, like me, have found their light.”
Take a look at some of her wonderful transformations in the gallery below.