The Treasure Hunt con Linda Sharkey

La Corea, infatti, negli ultimi anni ha saputo dettare trend, scrivere nuove tecnologie e confini della cosmesi sotto molteplici aspetti: dagli attivi alle formulazioni fino ai packaging. Tutto quello che è Made in Corea desta ormai attenzione e curiositá perché significa innovazione.

A differenza della cosmetica occidentale, focalizzata sulla cura dei danni giá esistenti, per la cosmetica coreana la chiave è nella prevenzione. Ecco perché la protezione solare non è solo uno step fondamentale della skincare routine ma un vero e proprio stile di vita, che include anche l’uso dell’ombrellino o degli indumenti anti UV. A Seoul è del tutto normale non solo portarlo con sé ma anche trovare maxi ombrelloni agli incroci per permettere ai pedoni di aspettare il verde ai semafori protetti dal sole.

Altro aspetto non trascurabile nella filosofia della skincare coreana è la salute della barriera cutanea. Una pelle sana parte proprio dall’equilibrio dei suoi meccanismi di protezione e del microbiota cutaneo. L’obiettivo è mantenere una pelle in salute, curata e resiliente. Parole come glass skin o dewy skin sono entrate ormai anche nel nostro vocabolario proprio grazie alla cosmetica coreana, che ha saputo veicolare il bisogno di una pelle idratata, luminosa anzi “rugiadosa” ma non unta.

Come si ottiene una pelle cosí? Con formule lenitive, idratanti e antiossidanti, che uniformino il colorito, rimpolpino la pelle e la dissetino quanto basta per risplendere. Per questo ho selezionato per voi alcuni prodotti che potete trovare nello store Pinalli all’interno del Fidenza Village. Prodotti che ho apprezzato per le formulazioni, per la texture ma anche per il loro pack innovativo. Perché la cosmetica dev’essere funzionale ma anche divertente da utilizzare, e i coreani lo sanno bene!

“These are pieces that return season after season, which is why I consider them a very smart investment.” – Linda Sharkey

What does fashion mean to you? For me, fashion is art; it is culture. It can express the purest part of your essence as well as those little alter egos we all have. It’s a powerful tool to communicate who we are and, above all, authenticity.

What is your relationship with the industry? I studied journalism in London, where I lived for ten years, and worked for six at The Independent. That’s where I developed my career in fashion journalism. At the same time, I had a blog, Fashion Inside Out, which helped me enter the industry. But in reality, my passion began much earlier: as a child I used to secretly steal clothes from my mother. She eventually had to put a lock on her wardrobe. Back then, fashion felt like an aspirational world; today, with digitalisation, it’s far more accessible.

How would you define your work today? I’m a stylist, fashion storyteller and host. I organise events where we present a collection through looks or capsules that help translate what we see on the runway into real life. In a digital world, is the physical experience the new luxury? Absolutely. For a while, online shopping dominated everything and status seemed to be about not having time. Today, the opposite is true: real luxury is time. Time to travel, to take care of oneself, to enjoy life. And fashion plays a role in that too. We’re returning to physical experiences: visiting a boutique, touching fabrics, understanding the pattern cutting and silhouettes. That’s the key difference between fast fashion and luxury.

Every city has its own way of living, reinterpreting and wearing fashion. How is fashion experienced in Madrid? I love Madrid because it’s authentic. When I arrived in 2016, I found a fairly classic, more understated street style, very connected to those inherited wardrobes. But over the past five years, it has changed a lot. The arrival of Latin American women—Mexican, Venezuelan, Colombian, Peruvian, Chilean—has brought a different energy: more colour, more playfulness, more mixing. Today I see a more diverse and adventurous fashion scene, inspired by the runway yet with a local character, open to combining the classic with the unexpected.

What is the experience like at Las Rozas Village? I was surprised by the number of timeless pieces you can find. Not just trends, but garments that truly stay in your wardrobe. That’s something we look for more and more: investing in smart pieces. And as it’s an open-air destination, the experience is much more relaxed. You can start with a matcha at Starbucks, go shopping, stop for lunch at Cristina Oria or Mentidero, and keep exploring boutiques. And then there’s The Apartment, that private space where you can end the day with a glass of champagne.