Photo Credit: Fashion Hankook. PI Corporation

I.MET.U’s Lea dazzles in Fashion Hankook’s December 2025 issue with the “Treats of Color” beauty editorial, a vibrant, high-fashion celebration that positions her as a next-generation global muse. This pictorial marks Fashion Hankook’s first full-scale beauty editorial, transforming Lea into a living canvas for saturated pigments, playful textures, and a pop-leaning vision of K-beauty.​

The Concept: A Feast of Color

“Treats of Color” is a year-end editorial feast, translating winter sweetness into bold makeup and whimsical styling. Each image is designed to evoke the feeling of opening a different candy box—graphic pigments, glossy finishes, and exaggerated gestures are anchored in editorial sophistication. The shoot, photographed by Philip Park, uses crisp close-ups and sharp lighting to amplify both skin texture and color payoff, with clean backgrounds keeping the chromatic play central.​

Look-by-Look Styling and Beauty

  • Pink Confection: Lea holds a cream-colored cake prop, staring directly into the camera with vivid pink blush and glossy lips. Her hair is smooth and volumized, allowing the blush-driven structure to shine.​
  • Yellow Citrus Pop: This look introduces sharper, more graphic energy, with yellow or golden shimmer framing the eyes and a clean, bright base. Hair is styled simply, tucked behind the ears or straight, matching the crisp pigment.​
  • Electric Blue Treat: The blue look channels K-pop’s love for cool-toned drama, with intense eyeliner or blue shadow extending beyond the natural eye line. Hair is sleeker and more directional, emphasizing a futuristic, night-out vibe.​
  • Vivid Multi-Color Mix: One standout frame layers vivid pink, yellow, and blue, blending pigments rather than separating them. Styling includes color-saturated garments and textured knits, with Lea’s expressions shifting from sweet to mischievous.​
  • Soft Winter Finale: The closing look softens the edges of color, resembling frosting rather than candy shell. Hair loosens into soft waves, with plush lips and subtly defined eyes for a romantic yet editorial finish.​

Lea’s Backstory and Image

Lea’s selection as the face of this editorial underscores her rising global idol status and Fashion Hankook’s intent to bridge K-pop performance energy with high-beauty storytelling. Her clear features and expressive micro-expressions make her an ideal canvas for experimental color, positioning her as both an idol and a muse.

Fan Commentary and Fashion Impact

Fans on Reddit and Instagram have hailed the editorial as “Lea’s most daring look yet,” with many noting how the shoot elevates K-pop’s influence on beauty standards worldwide. The vibrant, unapologetic use of color speaks to a generation that values individuality and bold self-expression, traits that are increasingly reflected in both K-pop fashion and global streetwear. Commentators have drawn parallels between Lea’s looks and the recent rise of “Korean candycore” and “pop-punk K-fashion,” where bright hues, graphic shapes, and playful accessories dominate runways and social feeds.​

K-pop × Global Fashion Culture

Lea’s editorial is emblematic of how K-pop idols are becoming true fashion ambassadors, bridging Korean beauty trends with international high-fashion sensibilities. The shoot’s candy-inspired visuals are not just seasonal—they signal a lasting shift in how pop stars and beauty brands collaborate to create trendsetting content. As K-pop continues to shape global fashion culture, editorial shoots like this one reinforce the genre’s status as a creative powerhouse, where music, style, and beauty converge to set new standards.

Artist #LEA 리아 @leanavvab
Director Jinny Jeongmin Seo 서정민
@jinny_jm_seo
Editor Min Young Kim 김민영 @editor_ming
Photographer Philip Park 필립 박 @thephilippark , @frontrow.std
Stylist Youngseong Lee 이영성 (A.K.A KOGO) @6uxs.o @stylist_kogo

HMU Jooyeon Kim 김주연 @jenny_2kim
Fashion
Son Jung Wan @sonjungwan ,
BMUET(TE) @bmuette ,
Chambriller@chambriller_official, LUCIE-RYU @lucie_ryu_
dorecreativecrew @dorecreativecrew

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