[Editor's note].
In 2024, the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France will usher in an important juncture of the 60th anniversary. Looking back, the good atmosphere of exchange between the two countries has created conditions for countless individuals to interact, and in this encounter, there are more individual adventures worth telling. In the past 60 years, countless Chinese and French women have shuttled back and forth between the two cultures, looking for their own value and position in the process of maneuvering with the unknown, and gradually polishing their own shining beauty, becoming a beautiful force to promote China and France to move in the same direction. On the occasion of Women's Day, we invited 7 Chinese and French women to talk about the adventures and flashes of individual women in Sino-French exchanges.
On the morning of February 26, close to 11 o'clock, the conference room at L'Oréal Shanghai's headquarters was silent. At this time, there was a hearty laugh at the door, Lan Zhenzhen appeared, she smiled and greeted everyone, and the atmosphere of the scene suddenly became lively.
Jennifer Lan, President of L'Oréal North Asia and China Public Affairs, joined L'Oréal in 1993 and later became a key member of the founding team of the Chinese mainland market. She was named "National Outstanding Entrepreneurial Woman" by the All-China Women's Federation and was also awarded the Chevalier de l'Ordre National de l'Ordre de l'Ordre de France.
Women are not only the most beautiful when they are dressed beautifully, there is no standard for beauty, and the most beautiful moment can have many meanings. During the interview, Lan Zhenzhen talked about her understanding of beauty several times.
In Lan Zhenzhen, this yearning for beauty is almost innate. When she was seven or eight years old, she imitated adults to curl her hair, and the tool was an iron chisel for fire, for which her forehead was burned, and her hair was burned. At that time, limited by age and time, she suppressed her pursuit of beauty.
Daring to release the inner pursuit of beauty is a process of gradual learning. In her view, beauty is not limited to appearance, but also spiritual beauty, especially the great beauty of loving society, "As a company, we are also contributing our own strength, hoping to do some more image publicity that is beneficial to the city and the country." ”
This year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France, and she initiated and planned this "Wǒmen Yew China and France" theme event, hoping to present the "beauty and power of women" in Sino-French exchanges and re-talk about "beauty" at this important historical juncture.
The following text is based on Lan Zhenzhen's dictation.
Lan Zhenzhen at work, courtesy of the interviewee.
Indeed good "short skirts: secretly love beauty."
Growing up, my pursuit of beauty has changed a lot.
When I was seven or eight years old, I had to accompany my mother to the Chengdu Daguang Hair Salon every week, and I could only watch them look so good when they went out of here, and sit on the small bench stupidly for an afternoon. I'm not reconciled, why can't I be so beautiful?
One day, I began to figure out how perming works. I think of every time my mom perms her hair, she shouts, "It's too hot, master, come and get it." At that time, I often had to help my mother cook, and I was next to the honeycomb coal stove all day. So, I came up with the idea of perming my hair with iron tongs. But I couldn't grasp it well, and I burned my forehead and burned my hair.
At that time, although I longed for beauty, I was secretly suppressed and suppressed.
I still remember when I was in my teens, my mom made me a "really good" short skirt because of my good grades. At that time, we were still wearing old-fashioned cloth clothes, and this "really good" short skirt was a mixed color, off-white and burgundy stripes, which was slippery to the touch, so beautiful, I was reluctant to wear it.
In 1976, Tangshan **, Sichuan also felt the earthquake, at that time, the house shook, everyone went to grab thick quilts, thick clothes and then run, I took the "really good" short skirt. Fleeing to the road, my mother saw it and scolded me, saying that the skirt was so thin that it was not frost-resistant at all. I feel aggrieved in my heart, in my eyes, it is the most beautiful and the most precious.
The pursuit of beauty also has a spiritual dimension. In the 80s of the last century, I studied French at Sichuan University of Foreign Chinese. Because when I was very young, someone in my family went to study in France and sent it back**. Since then, I have a special love for French culture and beauty, and I have a strong desire to learn French, and I want to go to France to see it. At that time, when the country first opened, there were movies to watch in the cinema, Teresa Teng's songs began to circulate, and the lyrics were written "I love you", "I am your only, you are my own", hearing them, my first reaction was that I felt very real and beautiful, but immediately felt shy, "How dare I listen to this kind of thing". People sang "Flowers of Love", and the word "love" must be swallowed, and in that era, people's yearning for love and beauty was very shy.
After graduating, I had the privilege of going to work in France, but in the early 90s, I suddenly wanted to go home and didn't want to continue wandering abroad. At that time, Hong Kong was more developed, so I went to Hong Kong first, because the language specialty is French, I wanted to go to a French company, but there were twists and turns, at that time, the other two companies gave offers, and all the conditions were good, but because I loved beauty since I was a child, at the crossroads of life, I finally chose L'Oreal intuitively.
After joining L'Oréal, I have changed a lot – from repressive beauty to unleashed beauty.
This is the result of L'Oréal's diverse and inclusive culture, a place where beauty can be freely pursued and shared, and where innovation and independence are encouraged. Therefore, I also wanted to do more cultural and artistic exchange activities for young people to improve their cultivation of the beauty of culture and art.
Lan Zhenzhen at work, courtesy of the interviewee.
There is no standard for beauty, but there are many extensions".
In my eyes, women are not only the most beautiful when they are dressed beautifully, there is no standard for beauty, but there are many extensions.
Have a big vision, have an international vision, don't just see your belly button, don't just see your toes, you have to see your surroundings, you have to see the bigger world.
When is a woman beautiful?
The first thing that came to my mind was that it was beautiful when it was real. For example, we recently planned a limited edition gift box of porcelain and lipstick for the 60th anniversary of China and France with Jingdezhen, which is not easy. In the end, thanks to the joint efforts of our brand executives, colleagues and partners, this seemingly impossible project was finally completed in a very short time. I was really happy when I was holding the limited edition gift box. This joy is sparked by the whole process of pursuit and the sense of accomplishment upon completion, which is a truest emotion that comes from the heart.
Secondly, beauty must have been something you haven't tried before, or you wouldn't be able to feel it very strongly. For example, today I think our colleague emma is very beautiful, because she has never worn this kind of "locomotive" denim leather jacket, and it does not match her quiet temperament, but her new attempt is refreshing and feels particularly beautiful.
Constantly perceiving the moment of beauty always reminds me of my mother, who was the first to bring me the enlightenment of beauty. Her thoughts and actions were bold, avant-garde and far-sighted in those days, and although she suffered a lot of criticism, she was still optimistic, persistent and painstaking in raising her children, taking care of her family, and moving forward with patience. My mother became the first female role model in my life, tenacious, beautiful, selfless and unconditionally supportive.
I think the most important thing I learned from my mother is perseverance.
Although I got involved with L'Oréal intuitively and instinctively, I found that this is a very good global company, and it is a very valuable opportunity for me to work here, and it has strengthened my determination to work here. When I talk to our team, I also say that once you choose a direction to do, you must stick to it. Just like the "China Young Female Scientist Award" and the "Beautiful Career, Beautiful Life" beauty public welfare training programs that we created before, once we started to do it, we insisted on making it famous and making the best level in this field.
I hope to do my job well and work with my team to make L'Oréal a beacon in the beauty industry, and at the same time to do a good job in cultural and artistic exchanges between China and France. For example, we supported Zao Wou-Ki's exhibition not long after we entered China, and we have been committed to developing and supporting various cultural and artistic exchanges between China and France.
When you've done all that, you'll have time to look up at the beautiful sky.
Lan Zhenzhen at work, courtesy of the interviewee.
Become a "beacon".
In the past 27 years, we have made a lot of efforts in the market, from zero to now, we have become a leader in this field, influencing the understanding and yearning of thousands of young people in the Chinese market.
In the past, everyone thought that the use of cosmetics was too smelly and too bourgeoisie. Now we yearn for beauty even more, and this beauty is not only the beauty of the appearance, but also the beauty of the soul.
We must also pursue a higher level of beauty, be more beautiful in the environment, and care about the great beauty of the society, and help everyone in the society who needs help.
As an enterprise, we are also contributing our own strength, hoping to do some image promotion that is beneficial to the city and the country.
China and France have different cultural foundations, different values, and different aesthetic views.
When it comes to people-to-people exchanges between the two countries, my biggest feeling is that we must first understand the "differences" between the two countries, and then try to understand the differences and find common ground. My team and I have established a good communication mechanism with our French team early on, on the one hand, to let the other party understand our style of doing things, and on the other hand, to familiarize ourselves with the ways and means of the French headquarters, so that we can learn from each other, make progress together, and get twice the result with half the effort in the process of continuous communication.
Moreover, the top leaders of China and France attach great importance to cultural and commercial exchanges between the two countries. As a company, we have a better business environment, which has formed such a good foundation today. Just last year, in the economic and trade cooperation between the two countries, France has become China's largest cosmetics exporter, cosmetics have been mentioned to a most important position, and the Chinese people in the field of the United States have been deeply influenced by France. I think that China needs to have good international friends like France when it stands in such an international position today.
I myself have been in L'Oréal for 30 years in a French company, and the department I am responsible for and all our employees have promoted economic, trade, cultural and artistic exchanges between the two countries in the course of Sino-French exchanges, enhanced the friendship between the two peoples, and we can also feel the heart-to-heart connection between the two countries in the Chinese market. Therefore, I think there will definitely be something to be done in the big year of Jiazi.
Sixty years of trials and hardships, a family (family) in the same direction, in this process of beauty and beauty, many women have contributed their own strength. On the occasion of Women's Day, I would like to pay special tribute to our female friends who have contributed to this project, and they have the resilience to create change and constantly push the exchanges and cooperation between the two countries to new heights. To this end, we have curated the YCIS wǒmen event, inviting 60 women who have walked the Franco-Chinese space to share their stories and share the power of their YCIS.
China is now the world's second largest economy, and China and France have always had good relations. After the earth-shaking changes in the market after the epidemic, and on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of China and France this year, I believe that a company like L'Oréal, which has advanced concepts, strong business and hard work, can play a lighthouse role in the whole society, and we are willing to contribute.
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