Despite the pandemic, lingerie makers in China have done good business in 2020 riding on millennial demand. Digital bra labels have seen a lot of fashion investment in the past few years. In 2018, digital bra startups attracted over $30.5 million growth capital, reports data firm iiMedia. Between 2019 and 2020, over a dozen emerging lingerie brands succeeded in raising millions of dollars to boost business. The lingerie market in China is pegged at $61-billion.

Lingerie a profitable business

Interestingly, most new labels were incepted by women. And as per a Jingdaily report most of these brands’ mission statements are they want to revolutionize the industry because of their own frustration with ill-fitting, curve-enhancing bras they wore growing up. In fact, “they are shifting the paradigm by promoting comfortable, gender-neutral, and versatile styles.” China has a huge potential market for innovative bra labels that embody body positivity and sustainability.

With the fall of top domestic lingerie brand Dushi Liren, which specialized in body-flattering push-up bras, in line with Victoria’s Secret, many digital bra labels have managed to make a mark and gain ground by catering to the young consumers’ lifestyles. China’s traditional beauty standards have forced many women to opt for wired push-up bras. However, the working millennial prefer comfort and simplicity.

The growth chart of some digital bra brands has been amazing. Some were incepted only two years ago however their success stories indicate there is a lot of untapped market potential. For example, Ubras, a digital brand specializing in one-size lingerie, surpassed Uniqlo in just two years. It became the top selling underwear brand in this year’s Singles Day. Similarly, Bananain, incepted in 2016 by a Shenzhen tech company, became one of Tmall’s top-five performing brands with gender-neutral underwear in bright colors and no skin-scratching labels. Livary Mio, a modern, feminine label founded by Miche Huang, has raised millions of dollars from the VC firm Artesian INVESTS to grow their online business.

And as Tmall’s underwear division, Sun Su points out Chinese consumers are very receptive to new brands, with 20 per cent of the top 100 brands at this year’s Singles Day sale labels founded in the past three years.

Over the years lingerie has turned from being functional apparel to personal expression. And as Miche Huang, Founder, Livery Mio points out, consumers really care about whether a piece of lingerie can be both beautiful and comfortable, whether it makes them look good, and whether it can pair stylishly with their clothes.

Moreover, just like their western counterparts, awareness about sustainability has started firming up among Chinese consumers too as they are also asking for more environmentally friendly materials. Body diversity is another untapped niche. Brands that promote inclusivity and diversity are still rare in China. While brands like Neiwai and CandyLaVie have made PR strides in fighting the stigmas of ageism and sizeism, they are only the tip of a much-anticipated broader movement towards celebrating body diversity.