As a “second skin,” lingerie is not only a daily essential but also a reflection of how people perceive their bodies and express their identities. In China, the evolution of bras and underwear has often mirrored shifts in female consciousness.
Yet few domestic brands in China’s lingerie market have achieved the cultural cachet of global names like Victoria’s Secret. Aimer is one of the few exceptions. With a history stretching over three decades, it has grown into one of the country’s leading homegrown lingerie brands.
In 1991, Zhang Rongming was working at University of Science and Technology Beijing when he identified a novel application for shape memory alloy: using it in bra underwires.
At the time, high-quality lingerie in China was largely imported. Riding the wave of the 1990s entrepreneurial boom, Zhang left academia to reengineer the bra wire using principles from materials science. His goal was to prove that “the hardest tech” could produce “the softest product,” ultimately developing a highly elastic, shape-retaining underwire.
In 1992, the struggling Huamei Garment Factory approached Zhang after hearing about his innovation. They struck a deal: Zhang would become the factory director in exchange for a technical equity stake. The following year, the first bra featuring his memory alloy design hit the market.
Over the next two decades, Aimer embedded innovation into its business model and grew into a major player. It eventually listed on the A-share market.
Today, Aimer Group operates more than ten brands, such as Aimer, Aimer Men, Aimer Kids, La Clover, Imi’s, Aimer Health, and Emperorient, covering lingerie, loungewear, ready-to-wear, skincare, bedding, and wellness products. The company runs more than 1,700 stores across over 200 Chinese cities and select international markets.
But the market has shifted.
With growing emphasis on women’s autonomy and well-being, comfort and self-care now drive purchasing decisions. Wire-free bras and simplified sizing have surged in popularity, powered by digital-native brands like Bananain, Neiwai, and Ubras.
This shift poses challenges for legacy players like Aimer, whose early success was built on wired bras. Now it faces pressure to modernize its brand, adapt its retail strategy, and remain competitive in a saturated, rapidly evolving market.
In 2024, Aimer Group reported RMB 3.163 billion (USD 442.8 million) in revenue, down 7.71% year over year. Net profit attributable to shareholders dropped 46.56% to RMB 163 million (USD 22.8 million).
The company cited macroeconomic headwinds and weak consumer sentiment, but also acknowledged internal shortcomings, including a slow response to changing market dynamics and limited innovation in operations.
In an interview with 36Kr, Zhang shared plans to open more flagship and large-format stores, ramp up online sales, and focus on three priorities: strengthening the core Aimer brand, revitalizing Imi’s, and expanding internationally.
As those plans take shape, consumers may soon encounter this legacy brand in new global contexts.
The following transcript has been edited and consolidated for brevity and clarity.
36Kr: The early 1990s were still quite conservative. Why did you choose to launch a business in women’s lingerie?
Zhang Rongming (ZR): My academic background is in materials science. In graduate school, I worked with several factories and learned how technical applications translated to real markets. Back then, there was a common belief that businesses serving women and children had better chances of success. That thinking—part of the entrepreneurial zeitgeist—stuck with me.
Later, while teaching, I saw the potential of using shape memory alloy in intimate apparel. That’s what pushed me to make the leap into entrepreneurship.
36Kr: What did women consumers want from lingerie back then?
ZR: That was during the shortage economy. People bought whatever was available. If you wanted stylish or well-made lingerie, you turned to foreign brands like Wacoal, Triumph, or Embry Form.
36Kr: So what was Aimer’s positioning at the time?
ZR: From day one, we aimed to match international brands in quality and status. Our first bra sold for RMB 49 (USD 6.9). In 1993, when the average monthly wage for urban residents was about RMB 190 (USD 26.6), that was a premium price point.
36Kr: What were the biggest challenges in the early days?
ZR: First, we lacked materials. Our breakthrough came from buying RMB 200,000 (USD 28,000) worth of surplus lace imported from Japan. That became the foundation for our early designs.
Second, we had no capital or talent. I borrowed RMB 800,000 (USD 112,000) from friends since we had no assets to secure loans.
36Kr: That’s not a small sum. How long did it take to repay?
ZR: My memory’s a bit fuzzy, but I think it took about four years. I offered returns of at least 15%. Despite the scarcity, we benefited from a major shift: the opening up of department store counters into open retail spaces. People suddenly had choices, and with that, a desire to buy.
36Kr: Imi’s was launched in 2005?
ZR: Yes. We began building our multi-brand strategy in 2004 and Imi’s came the following year. Aimer was already a top-tier brand. But we knew the market was becoming more segmented, and each brand needed a clear identity. So we developed La Clover, a more expensive, European-style brand positioned above Aimer. Imi’s targeted younger consumers: students and urban professionals.
36Kr: After nearly two decades, are you seeing customers move from Imi’s to Aimer?
ZR: We don’t have definitive data, but I’ve noticed some consumers “graduate” from Aimer to La Clover.
Aimer’s core demographic is now 35–45. We used to worry this skewed older, but it’s actually the group with the most purchasing power. Still, we hope to appeal to consumers five years younger.
Imi’s faces bigger challenges. Its customer base hasn’t stayed significantly younger than Aimer’s, and its online sales ratio is lower. Our top priority is reviving its youthful energy.
36Kr: Will you consolidate more of Aimer’s brands?
ZR: Aimer, Aimer Men, and Aimer Kids remain our core business. We’ve been streamlining others over the past two years.
In 2013, we launched Aimer Sports. After the pandemic, we introduced another sportswear brand, Chichu. Last year, we merged the two into a new sub-brand called Aimer Move. Going forward, we’ll concentrate more resources on rejuvenating Imi’s to meet younger consumers’ needs.
36Kr: Neither Aimer nor Imi’s is known for a catchy slogan. Why?
ZR: Our longest-running spokesperson is Gong Li, whom we worked with around the Curse of the Golden Flower era. Back then, our brand message was: “Be the best version of yourself.”
We believe the name “Aimer,” derived from the French verb for love, already captures our brand philosophy. The Chinese name expresses affection and admiration with subtlety and elegance. Over the years, our slogans have consistently emphasized themes of self-love, love for others, and love for life.
For 17 years, we hosted lingerie runway shows. While they never reached the global scale of Victoria’s Secret, they were prominent fixtures during China’s fashion weeks. From 2007 to 2009, Imi’s also ran a national lingerie model contest that helped raise the brand’s profile.
We eventually phased out both initiatives. The final runway show was in 2019. These formats had started to feel outdated, and audiences seemed to have grown tired of the aesthetic.
36Kr: Younger consumers still discover Aimer through physical stores. Any plans to revamp the format?
ZR: Store formats evolve with China’s retail landscape. We’ve gone from department stores to malls, and now see malls, outlets, street shops, and airport locations coexisting.
We’re updating stores to match modern formats. We may even incorporate cafés or customization areas.
We run both single-brand stores (like Aimer, Aimer Men, and Aimer Kids) and multi-brand outlets like Aimer+. We’re also launching larger flagship stores that combine men’s and women’s products in premium retail spaces.
36Kr: Isn’t rent becoming a major issue?
ZR: Yes. Rents keep rising while foot traffic falls. That’s why we’re investing in better design and aesthetics. We’ve already integrated elements from Aimer Art, our in-house label, into our stores.
36Kr: Any new marketing initiatives?
ZR: We’re rebranding. This year, we introduced a sea otter mascot to promote our seaweed fiber sleepwear. I’m also active on platforms like Xiaohongshu and exploring how artificial intelligence can optimize search and marketing performance.
36Kr: Will online sales play a bigger role?
ZR: We’ll be where our customers are. While offline remains strong, we’re investing heavily in digital. Our goal is for online to exceed 30% of total revenue. Long-term, we want unified inventory across all channels.
36Kr: Aimer built its reputation on wired bras. But younger consumers prefer wire-free options. How do you view this shift?
ZR: Needs evolve with society and lifestyle. Wired bras came out of an era that emphasized curves.
Post-reform, China moved from scarcity to abundance, and now toward personalization and self-expression. Women’s values evolved alongside that shift.
Materials have changed too. From stainless steel and memory alloys, we now have soft-support technologies. Today’s wire-free bras can rival wired ones in structure and support.
36Kr: When did wire-free bras gain traction in China?
ZR: Western markets adopted them early. In China, Uniqlo helped popularize them. Then, during Covid-19 lockdowns, comfort became paramount.
36Kr: When did Aimer introduce wire-free styles?
ZR: In the 1990s. In 2016, we launched cross-size bras. Terms like “size-free” are more marketing than science. Our cross-size line uses seamless bonding and soft support, eliminating the need for strict sizing.
Today, wire-free bras make up about half of our product line, and we continue to adapt based on demand.
36Kr: What do you think of emerging brands like Ubras, Neiwai, and Bananain?
ZR: Before 2010, retail was offline and costly. After 2010, e-commerce and smartphones lowered entry barriers. The Covid-19 accelerated the shift. New brands keep emerging, but most of their impact is online. We’re less affected offline.
36Kr: More sportswear brands now sell sports bras, especially in yoga.
ZR: Many brands want to be China’s Lululemon. That’s a good thing. Sports bras represent market expansion, not cannibalization.
36Kr: Aimer has been collecting body data since 1999. How do Chinese women’s needs differ from those in the West, Japan, or South Korea?
ZR: Lingerie design depends heavily on fit models. Ours originally came from Japan, but Japanese women tend to be smaller.
China’s size diversity is vast. After collecting millions of data points, we developed our own models. That’s why our bras fit Chinese women better.
Culturally, Western markets emphasize individuality and sex appeal. Japanese design focuses on detail. South Korean consumers, driven by fast fashion, buy more frequently and prefer loungewear-inspired looks.
In China, comfort comes first. Lightweight, breathable, and wire-free designs are in demand. But so are coverage and structure. Chinese women want form and function.
36Kr: What makes Aimer technically superior?
ZR: Our data-driven models help us design bras with better support. Even our wire-free styles hold their shape well. We also offer customization.
36Kr: What’s your bestselling product?
ZR: Bras and panties account for 45% of total revenue. Loungewear is next at 27%.
Post-Covid-19, loungewear grew fastest. Around 2021, we began exploring seaweed fiber. In 2023, we launched our first seaweed sleepwear line as part of our 30th anniversary. It’s biodegradable, breathable, and antibacterial—perfect for rest.
36Kr: Any other notable material innovations?
ZR: Our milk fiber is fully traceable. Our sensitive-skin fabrics are hospital-certified. We develop materials from the fiber stage, with no additives.
36Kr: How much do you invest in R&D?
ZR: We have about 8,000 employees, including factory workers and retail staff. Around 500 work in R&D, which is around 6%. Each year, we invest over 3% of our revenue in innovation.
36Kr: What’s your current focus?
ZR: Managing Aimer’s core brand, revitalizing Imi’s, and expanding globally.
We began our international journey in 2007, on our 15th anniversary. Since then, we’ve opened stores in Singapore, Dubai, and elsewhere, mostly targeting overseas Chinese. We’re now entering the second phase, focusing on Asia, Southeast Asia, and Australia.
KrASIA Connection features translated and adapted content that was originally published by 36Kr. This article was written by Xie Yunzi for 36Kr.