Fair Reportage

Dessous China moves to Beijing
The very first event of Dessous China Beijing took place from 13th to 15th March. Despite the doubts expressed by some European exhibitors with regard to the decision to leave Shanghai - even if only temporarily -, the results finally turned out to be satisfactory, with a rise in the number of visitors and the guarantee of new contacts both with the Beijing region and the northern provinces thanks to over 50% visitors coming from that part of China.

Although Shanghai is the Chinese capital of fashion, characterised by uncontrollable dynamism, and even though it evokes a recognisable past through its architecture - many buildings dating back to the European concession age still convey a sense of familiarity to us -, it is not the only zone of interest for the lingerie industry. Another important basin for the textile/garment sector is Dalian, a coastal city of the region of Liaoning, near Beijing, and the venue of another meaningful garment fair. That is why organisers decided to alternate between Shanghai and Beijing.

Approximately 100 exhibitors
Let's have a closer look at the offer of Dessous China Beijing. A total of 102 exhibitors divided into two separate but communicating areas: a refined space for lingerie brands - mainly Asian - and a second, more functional pavilion devoted to the offer of materials and textile accessories, where the highest concentration of Europeans was to be found. The main brands in the field of finished products were Aimer, Duchess, Bailian, Ordifen, Colony and Hop Lun (6ixty 8ight and No Romeo) as well as the Italian Valeries and Oroblu and the German Feline and Vive Maria. Among the numerous suppliers of materials, we'll mention Noyon, Doges and Lila as well as the Italian Eurojersey, Iluna, Mokitex, Renzo Cambianica and Taiana. "The idea" explained Gerald Bose, general manager of the event, "is to turn Dessous China into a moment of meeting and information for lingerie professionals in China". That is why the structure of the fair focused on the continuous and rapid change in local reality, which is sometimes difficult to understand at a distance. After an initial period of mutual discovery and a phase during which every company had had to make a strategic choice and decide whether or not to operate in that part of the world, it was time to put into effect both relationships and professionalisation. Therefore, the second series of the Asian Lingerie Summit conference cycle, which took place inside the fair, turned out to be very successful. Another goal of Dessous China was communication with regard to lingerie. After the fashion show of the French lace producer Noyon, it was now the turn of the local brand Aimer to organise its first mega-live itinerant show simultaneously with the Beijing fair.
"The necessity of combining the demand of quality materials with the local brands' need to communicate on a large scale has helped us to conceive this pattern, which is suitable for Chinese reality while being totally new for Europe" confirms Gerald Bose. With humility and intelligence, Dessous China has no doubt been able to become the reference point of the lingerie industry in China.

7,000 visitors
The 2002 event had more than 7,000 visitors - thus showing a 10% rise if compared to the preceding event -, with a majority of Chinese coming from the Beijing area and the northern provinces (52.3%). There were many operators from the Shanghai region, too (19%), followed by those from the Canton area (17.3%). Most visitors from outside continental China came from East Asia instead: Hong Kong and Macao as well as Japan, Korea and Taiwan.
40% of visitors - and particularly some European professionals - were manufacturers hoping to find an offer of high quality materials at Dessous China, followed by a whole group of intermediaries who often turn out to be very useful for the first penetration into the territory of interest: trading companies, agents, retailers and wholesalers who can rely on many contacts, not always easy to perceive at first sight. As for chains, they are - except for some non-Chinese cases - exclusive spaces devoted to specific brands inside department stores. For the time being, distribution chains of the European kind don't seem to exist.

An evolutionary fair
This year the professional information mechanism of the fair featured the expansion of the Lingerie Summit, now in its second event. During the three-day fair, visitors could thus attend a seminar cycle divided into two sections - management and technology - and given by various operators of the industry as well as by Chinese and foreign teachers. Approximately 350 people took part with great interest in the various conferences scheduled. France, the capital of lingerie fashion, held the place of honour thanks to the interventions of Edith Keller of Carlin International and Francesca Spinetta of Intima, who described lingerie trends and shop concepts in Europe respectively. A very interesting moment of comparison and exchange which remembers us, if necessary, that the best business achievements result from mutual "contamination" and not from simple imitation…

Exhibitors 102
China 49
Europe 33
Other countries 20

Visitors 7,092
China 6,199
Other countries 893

Visitors' typology
Department stores 5%
Retailers 8,6%
Chains 4,8%
Wholesalers 9,1%
Trading companies 11,5%
Agents 10,2%
Manufacturers 40%
Press 5,1%
Others 5,7%

Surface area: 9,596,961 Km2
Population: 1,275,133,000
Organisation: unitary and multinational socialist republic
22 provinces, 5 "autonomous" regions, 4 great municipalities: Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin and Chongquing.

The Noyon fashion show
Noyon - a very active company in China - surprised its numerous guests once more with its fashion show, which took place - as every year - simultaneously with Dessous China. An original way to emphasise the use of its laces by Chinese brands and to suggest possible lines inspired to the latest fashion trends at the same time.

Next event: Shanghai, 17-19th March 2003

Aimer Lingerie Show
Approximately 40 people between dancers and models took part in the very first event of the Lingerie Show staged by the Chinese brand Aimer. This wonderful show - perfectly organised by Jerry Zhang of the Galaxy agency - attracted a prestigious public made up by prominent personalities of the fashion, showbiz and press world. This was the first stage of an itinerant show that will stop in the main Chinese cities.

Reportage

A desire for fashion
The more I go there, the less I know about it. An ancient proverb says: "I was in China for one month and I wrote a novel; I lived there for one year and I wrote a story; I remained there for a longer time and I stopped writing…".

By Francesca Spinetta
Illustrations by Ann Nguyen

After all, structured information about the lingerie market in China is poor or non-existent. There are few official sources and all of them are written in Chinese, of course. Furthermore, manufacturers do not seem to have the need to look for a market still at the initial stage of development, where supply is still lower than demand. We should not pretend at any cost that things go as they do in Europe.

Who purchases lingerie ?
Having a closer look at the visitors of Dessous China as a whole, we immediately notice a difference between the Chinese distribution system and ours. While, on the one hand, lingerie manufacturers made up the greatest part of the public at the fair, it is important, on the other, to make clear that the distribution structure in China is very peculiar and difficult to categorise according to our classification criteria. In general, we can say that there are "department stores" partially owned by the government and belonging to a more or less high range, within which it is possible to create one' own brand "corner". In department stores you can find some imported brands at prices that defy any purchase desire. Furthermore, there is an increasing number of Chinese lingerie brands thinking that it is now time to build their images at the national level. Lingerie is also sold in the numerous and extremely popular indoor markets - the ideal places for shopping of an unusual kind and very useful to know the evolutionary state of female tastes…

Focus on lingerie
As Professor Yuan Ze of the Beijing Garment Institute explains, Chinese traditional ethics and its influence on sexuality minimised interest in the lingerie product for a long time. For most people, underwear reduced to a sort of baggy panties manufactured at home. "The rare lingerie shops hidden in big cities sold cotton products only. Nobody dared to expose bras to the public and even to hang them out after washing."
It is necessary to say that the situation has changed, as all other things in China. We could also say that 2001 was a year of transition for the Middle Country and that its entry into the WTO gave the impetus we had been waiting for for a long time. This goes for the enterprise world but is also reflected in people's lifestyle. As for lingerie, for example, we were surprised to discover a totally new surge of creativity and courage both in the exhibitors' collections at Dessous China and in the lingerie sections of department stores. While it is true that a certain Japanese influence is still recognisable in the style of products - padded bras with a rigid structure and tight-fitting or even shaping panties -, we were happy to discover a greater number of forms and a much more feminine taste. Chinese women seem to resemble us more than we thought, as far as lingerie is concerned at least. As for bathing costumes, the situation is still different. After all, we have never seen so many female entrepreneurs as in China…

New trends

Strings are in rise
They already account for 20% of Duchess' sales

More transparency
Laces, which are much appreciated, become lighter and also hide some unexpected details made of printed tulle. Embroideries are not widely used yet.

Very low necklines
Although bras are still very structured, the necklines become much more provocative

Elaborate backs
Bra side bands and panty backs start playing an important role in the design of models.

Indefinable details

Overlapped bandages are still a must

Cotton is cheap, hurrah for polyamide!

Red and gold for your wedding day and New Year's Eve as well as St. Valentine

Among the best sellers, padded printed fabrics in the shades of gold, pink or pale blue

Reportage

The springtime of brands
Will China open to the world and allow full development of a local market made up of 1.3 billion people after its entry into the WTO? Import taxes are decreasing, the economy is booming, product sales prices are rising. The moment for brands has come at last!

SUNFLORA'S MANAGER WITH ANN NGUYEN

According to the data gathered by Jasmine Consulting, China has approximately 500 million women aged between 15 and 55, and the most active consumers are between 20 and 39 years old. If we assume that the average sales price of a bra amounts to 250 RMBs and that panties cost 150 RMBs, we can estimate that sales reach 400 million RMBs in big cities such as Beijing and Shanghai.

Beyond all pessimistic forecasts, the increase in product prices is now a fact. Average income statistics are of no help. Though the average income is constantly rising, it is still rather low. The elements giving us thorough consumption information are price tags and the number of people leaving department stores with overflowing shopping bags. This year we saw so many of them in Beijing. The "museum" spaces of five years ago are now a thing of the past: at present they are crowded with consumers. Although the 10%-rule is still in force, there is an increasing number of Chinese who can afford buying comparatively expensive products, as shown by the example of Sun Flora. This company in the Dalian region, which has just launched a junior collection created in collaboration with a team of Parisian designers, shows a certain increase in the lingerie sales price in China. Its offer includes products ranging from 58 to 208 RMBs, but articles from 88 to 128 RMBs already account for 50% of its total turnover! A significant trend explaining the present "breakthrough" of lingerie in China.
According to the data gathered in department stores in Beijing and Shanghai by the National Business Information Center, the middle-high range is still monopolised by foreign brands such as Embry Form, Triumph and Wacoal in the order of 60%. Having said that, many Chinese manufacturers - who worked as subcontractors for foreign Japanese or American brands and distributors for a decade or more and had to improve their quality, their reactivity and their material sourcing over time - seem determined to regain their territory and do not hesitate to launch their brands any longer. Some of them, including Aimer, were the forerunners of this process; others, such as Sun Flora, are burgeoning; and others, such as 6ixty 8ight (Hop Lun), Comasea (Wing Bun Company Ltd) and S.Rose, have just completed their evolution. With China's entry into the WTO, competition will certainly grow stronger and - however unbelievable it can seem to us - the Chinese fear foreign competition, which further confirms the prospects of success in this vast country. Within this framework, we have to mention the International Lingerie City project, which is currently underway: a total of 400 production unities partially financed by the State (to the extent of 10 million dollars) and entirely devoted to the lingerie industry. The project should see the light of day at the end of 2002 in Nanhai, near Canton.

Aimer's history
This 100%-Chinese company launched its itinerant lingerie show, which will reach the main Chinese cities, just during Dessous China. Half million dollars for a really dazzling event, in which about forty models and ballet dancers gave life to the superb scenes conceived by Jerry Zhang, one of the best Chinese choreographers. We wanted to know more about this company, which is full of dynamism and seems to be the perfect embodiment of one of the new faces of this country.

The path of knowledge
Aimer's history started in 1993 and followed what Mr. Zhang Rongming, the chairman of the company, calls "the path of knowledge".
"In the beginning, the founders of Aimer desired to launch a brand, but circumstances were very hard then," he explains to us "because Aimer was a small enterprise on the verge of financial failure and it did not arouse any interest among investors. These serious financial difficulties meant that Aimer would not be able to survive according to usual rules. It was therefore necessary to find another path, the path of knowledge". Thus, imagination and savoir-faire took the place of the funds necessary for launching the brand. Mr. Zhang used the undeformable structure - which he invented himself - to convince distributors to invest in Aimer, a move that led to a 3-year period of growth.

For people, for better life
During its period of development (1996-1999), Aimer aimed at expanding and improving its products. The funds accumulated during the launch were not enough to follow the company's rapid development. Bearing in mind his past experience, Mr. Zhang concentrated on the creation of a team of "talents", made up of people attracted by Aimer's promising future and the prospect of a long-term career. Thus, Aimer and its executives put into effect a task division system based on the available skills and knowledge. "This modern system helped many skilled collaborators to identify a concrete purpose in their contribution to Aimer". Over five years, some bright collaborators entered the company, which was concentrating on building its factories and headquarters at the same time.
So as to reach a certain degree of harmony among the members of the teams, Aimer conceived a company philosophy based on the message: "For people, for better life".

The need to encourage talents
"Knowledge remains sterile if you do not put it into practice" continues Mr. Zhang. "That's why, after attracting and keeping a certain number of talented collaborators, it was necessary to give them continuous and specific training so that they always remained on top". Five years ago, when China did not have successful lingerie designers yet, Aimer decided to recruit and train a group of young graduates. "Instead of purchasing style from foreign countries, we kept on using their sketches although they were not perfect. Over time, our designers improved and found their own style, a feature that makes Aimer's products different from all the others".
R&D is a constant presence at Aimer. All new models are created with the CAD method and the enterprise has just founded the Human Engineering Institute in collaboration with the Garment College in Beijing.
"Aimer's growth shows that - in the age of knowledge - the traditional elements such as funds and equipment have given way to knowledge and professional development.
After China's entry into WTO, national lingerie manufacturers have to face a bitter foreign competition and are, at the same time, crushed by the structural lack of funds. The path of knowledge chosen by Aimer could turn out to be useful…. Thanks Mr. Zhang.

Aimer today
Aimer currently has 24 branches and approximately 500 spaces in department stores all over the country. According to the Chinese Statistics Office, its sales volume will be placed second for two consecutive years after reaching 29 million dollars in 2001.
At the same time, the company hopes to develop its sales in Europe, the USA and Japan. (completely renewed production centres are located in Beijing and Suzhou, in the vicinity of Shanghai), with as many as 29 production lines. The Suzhou factory contains 24 production lines with an additional 18,000-m2 building surface area. The enterprise employs approximately 1,200 people, including about a hundred technicians and administrative roles. As for quality control, Aimer has been the first Chinese company to comply with the ISO 2001 standards. All its equipment is of the last generation: Pegasus, Singer, Juki, Brother.