How Hinok Is Defining Itself Outside of K-Beauty Culture in the U.S.

by · WWD
Hinok hand creamCourtesy of Hinok

Hinok doesn’t want to be like other K-beauty brands.

The lifestyle line, which comprises hand, body, home and hair care, is setting itself apart in the U.S. via an innovative distribution strategy. Rather than launching itself on social media or retail, it’s partnering with Michelin-starred restaurants and luxury hotels.

“We don’t have TikTok shop, so we are not following the playbook of K-beauty brands,” said Jewoo Park, chief executive officer of EFG, Hinok’s U.S. partner. “We intentionally don’t want to be on Amazon and TikTok Shop. There will be a time when we will want to be in those channels, but first, we wanted to be intentional with where we are placed and where customers experience us.”

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Hinok hand wash and hand cream

The brand, founded by Sohee Park in 2020, soft-launched in the U.S. late last year through collaborations with New York-based chefs and a partnership with retailer La Garçonne. Today, a handful of its bestselling products — which include The Room Spray, The Hand Wash, The Hand Balm and The Hand and Body Lotion made with Jeju Hinoki Cypress — is used in 70 percent of Korean Michelin-starred restaurants in New York, as well as in SSAL and Benu in San Francisco.

“If you visit those high-end restaurants, the overall experience is great. Those experiences are the ones that we wanted to create, and those are the first impressions we wanted to get from customers before retail,” Park said.

Hinok opened its direct-to-consumer business in the U.S. earlier this year, and now the brand is also available on Fwrd. Hotels, restaurants, membership clubs and high-end grocers, though, remain the priority in its expansion plan. Park said Hinok is already in talks with several boutique hotels across Europe, as well as additional restaurants on the West Coast and a private-members club in Florida.

While a majority of consumer feedback comes through Hinok’s website, these hospitality channels have delivered key insights, too, specifically on the differences between the Hinok customer in the U.S. and in South Korea.

“In [South] Korea, our core customers care about wellness, health and how things are made, and many of them are artists, architects and people who love literature,” said Sohee Park, founder and chief executive officer. “In the U.S., what we’re seeing so far is similar. They look for gentle products made from real ingredients, and they feel that what they use every day shapes how they live, not just what it does.

“We’re still early, and we’re listening closely,” she continued. “The response in the U.S. has come much faster than I expected. In less than a year, we’re already hearing a lot from customers. We want to find more ways to meet them, but we’re choosing not to chase speed. We want to take the time to understand our customers and talk with them directly. Growth will come from that.”