What’s My ‘Real’ Hashtag?

Connecting LANEIGE with the World #Connecting New Beauty

The LANEIGE Global Commercial Division serves as a bridge between headquarters and each regional subsidiary. We’re the team that helps global strategy adapt to local markets, uncovers new retail opportunities, and drives the brand’s global growth. Within that, I distribute the latest brand guides, coordinate new product launch schedules to align with the Travel Retail calendar, and support duty-free set development along with various other tasks the Travel Retail business needs. One thing I take real care with each month is the brand newsletter. I gather news of LANEIGE’s brand activities and events from managers in every region around the world, then organize and share it so that local subsidiaries can refer each other’s cases and draw inspiration from them. Updating the Travel Retail calendar and newsletter month after month is how I bring LANEIGE's stories from every corner of the world together into one.

The attitudes I value most in this job are adaptability and clear communication. One characteristic of global Travel Retail work is that market conditions and schedules keep changing. It calls for responding flexibly to sudden shifts in priorities while still organizing information so that anyone can use it right away. And because so many countries and teams collaborate, communicating clearly so that no one ends up understanding the same thing differently matters more than anything. Only then can LANEIGE offer a consistent experience as a single brand to customers anywhere in the world.

From a K-Beauty Fan to a Maker #From Fan To Maker

In 2013, when I first encountered Korea as an exchange student, it felt like an entirely new world waiting to be discovered. What struck me most was the overwhelming variety of products lining beauty store shelves, so many that I couldn’t tell their names or how to use them. My favorite brands back then were ETUDE and innisfree. I used to take photos in front of ETUDE stores as if I’d stepped into a fairy tale, and at innisfree, I’d pick out sheet masks with all kinds of ingredients to bring home to Italy like souvenirs.

There are still moments when it feels unreal that I now work in this very industry. Where I once wandered through Olive Young out of pure curiosity, browsing the merchandise and new releases, I now naturally reach for LANEIGE products first. Knowing that I’ve become part of a world I long admired and enjoyed feels special to me every single time.

If I had to pick one item that best captures my New Beauty, it would be LANEIGE’s ‘Water Bank UV Barrier Sunscreen.’ Italy, where I grew up, is a place that considers tanned skin beautiful. Rather than tanning nicely, however, my skin just turns red in the sun. As a child, I thought of it as simply my own quirk, but after coming to Korea, the way I saw my skin changed. Once I started using LANEIGE sunscreen, I came to understand my skin’s characteristics and, through that understanding, realized how important it is to take good care of myself. So for me, sunscreen isn’t just a product that blocks UV rays; it’s the item that lets me comfortably accept the skin that’s uniquely mine and find confidence within it. At the same time, since it taught me to take better care of myself, I could say it was where my New Beauty began.

Making the Most of Everyday Life in Korea #Life In Korea

If I had to choose one object that best represents me, it would be my big bag. Makeup products, bandages, an umbrella, and a cordless hair iron. It holds my wish to be ready for anything. In my wallet, I keep little memories like photos and tickets. This kind of enjoyment carries over into the office, too. There’s always a pop-up running in the basement of Amorepacific, and I stop by whenever I have time, curious about which brand has arrived that week. Wandering through each new pop-up with my colleagues and snapping photos together is one of my small pleasures.

At lunchtime, I sit down with colleagues in the employee cafeteria, sharing a meal and talking about all sorts of things. Since the cafeteria offers such a wide range of menu options, we can each choose whatever we’re in the mood for and still eat together at the same table. On top of that, the flexible working hours let me structure my day more efficiently, and I feel genuinely grateful to be able to shape my everyday life in my own way, even while holding down a full-time job.

Within this kind of environment, most of my inspiration ultimately comes from the people I work with every day. I truly admire my colleagues and leaders. Each of them brings deep expertise in their field, and seeing how much knowledge they possess and the impact they have makes me want to keep learning and growing, too. My goal is to become someone that others can trust and turn to, someday, whenever they need help or expertise.

MINI INTERVIEW

Ilaria Fornari’s Recruitment Tip

The first piece of advice I’d give is to invest seriously in your language skills. For a foreigner working in Korea, language ability is one of the most valuable assets you can have. If you pair that with practical skills such as Excel, data analysis, and AI, it will go a long way toward helping you stand out and develop your competitive edge during the hiring process.

I’d also recommend keeping a steady interest in the beauty market. It helps to look beyond Korean brands and also follow brands and trends in overseas markets you know well. Keep an eye on what products are gaining popularity in global markets, how brands are communicating with consumers, and what new campaigns or collaborations are emerging.

This habit of broadening your view of the market becomes a strength, letting your interest and capabilities come through naturally in an interview. And I believe it will continue to serve as a solid foundation for helping drive the brand’s growth together, even after you join.