There are many reasons why we wear clothes. One of them is to project an image of ourselves that will convey our status, occupation, or desired personality. Another is to offer a barrier – both physical and metaphysical – to the outside world. Fashion and the way we dress ourselves according to cultural values also shape our vision of the body. I wanted to make a series of nude portraits of both women and men to find out how important clothes really are to our “image,” or our barriers, to society. Can there be a more honest portrait of someone than when they are totally naked?

To find the answer to my question, I made a majority of these portraits in a studio, a timeless space that does not bear indications of culture or geography.

Documentary Photographs by Isabelle Carbonell