What’s “Sexy” in China?
For years, the world’s biggest lingerie brand was struggling in China.
The once-powerful Victoria’s Secret, which for decades had helped define “sexiness” in Europe and the US via its racy lingerie and annual runway shows but had seen its sales tank and marketing hit a sour note for lack of diversity, among other issues, was also facing problems in the Chinese mainland. There, shoppers complained of a lack of options that fit Asian body types, while the label’s loud, flirtatious branding largely failed to strike a chord with Chinese consumers.
Yet a successful campaign — and two smartly chosen ambassadors — helped seemingly endear the lingerie brand to Chinese consumers once again as it attempted to redefine “sexiness.” In April, it announced A-list actresses Yang Mi and Zhou Dongyu as their brand ambassadors for Asia and China respectively.
The campaign was hailed as a dramatic pivot for the American company, which had been replicating the supermodel-driven strategy that had propelled them in other countries. (In the past, VS had tried to woo Chinese buyers by booking more Asian supermodels for their runway shows, and hosting their 2017 show in Shanghai.)
And for Chinese netizens, the messaging seemed to catch on — or at least create a sizeable wave of marketing buzz. The hashtag on microblogging platform Weibo “Zhou Dongyu is the new VS spokesperson for China” (#周冬⾬成维密⼤中华区代⾔⼈#) received over two million views and a 95% thumbs up rating on the platform. The hashtag for fellow ambassador Yang Mi received over 12 million views.
Many Weibo users hailed the campaign’s breaking down of “sexy” stereotypes, and responded enthusiastically to the campaign’s call for Weibo users to define what “sexiness” is to them.
“To change the style of the past, to redefine the traditional sense of ‘sexy,’” one Weibo user commented in response. “As a charm that resonates with others, sexiness is never external — only rooted in a comfortable state of self. If the atmosphere is there, the feeling is right, sexiness comes naturally.”
Whether or not the campaign will translate into a long-term surge in bra and panties sales remains to be seen. But what VS finally landed on is something that domestic lingerie brands have perhaps always better understood — that Chinese lingerie buyers seek to define “sexiness” on their own terms. Asian buyers have historically been described as having “shy,” “conservative” or “conventional” attitudes towards lingerie — but in contemporary China, particularly in its first- and second-tier cities, that paradigm is changing quickly.
Inside Out
China’s underwear market in 2019 reached close to 200 billion RMB, with women’s underwear accounting for more than 60% of the total market size, according to CBNData’s Underwear Industry Trends Research. Moreover, 112 new underwear-based companies were added in 2019 — a 38% increase from the year before.
A number of domestically produced lingerie brands such as Aimer, Gujin, and ManiForm, have historically made up the largest portion of lingerie catering to Chinese women. But among younger consumers — particularly China’s first- and second-tier urbanites — not all of them are necessarily well known or liked. “I don’t usually buy domestic brands,” says 24-year-old Chen Ziyang, who is based in Beijing. “I suppose I’ve seen Aimer in shopping malls, and online being reviewed by fashion bloggers. But my impression was always that it was higher priced than Victoria’s Secret in the US.”
This doesn’t extend to all China-made lingerie, however — in the past three years, the all-wireless lingerie brand Neiwai (内外) has become something of a sensation. Founded in 2012 as an online-only brand sold on Taobao — China’s biggest ecommerce platform — Neiwai, which translates to “inside, outside,” gained a following for its clean design, soft fabrics, and more unisex fits.
“I prefer [Neiwai] to VS because it’s more comfortable to wear, and also affordable,” says 25-year-old Nicky Hu, who is based in Shanghai. “I feel that VS bras are quite outdated in terms of their style. They give me a sense of being ‘plastic’ — only for the purpose of being sexy, but not comfortable at all.”
“[Chinese lingerie brands’] messages are more along the lines of being natural and comfortable,” Vicky Huang, co-founder of online lingerie boutique sassy X sexy, tells RADII. “The color palettes are usually more subdued, and totally opposite to the loud VS glamour. There is also a lot of specialized lingerie now [catering to] small-chested women that seek not to push up, but to hug naturally.”
Hit "Read More" at the bottom of this message for why Chinese women grew to hate, then love Victoria's Secret.
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