“The perception of the lingerie sector has changed,” Scaglia told Reuters. “At the beginning many people we spoke to were confused as to why anybody should spend over $1,000 on panties for something nobody sees.”
Victoria's Secret will open a 20,000 square foot (1,860 square meter) flagship store in Shanghai this year, taking over a prime downtown location that used to house a Louis Vuitton store.
Triumph, which already has 1,000 China stores, plans to open in five new cities this year and up to 11 cities next year.
Cosmo Lady, a Chinese firm that has focused on the mass market, selling bras from 50 yuan ($7.50), last year bought Ordifen to increase its presence in the luxury segment.
“We would like to gradually step into the high-end market,” said Peter Lam, Cosmo Lady's assistant chief financial officer.
International brands admitted that they don't offer products specifically for the Chinese market, though La Perla said that some colours—red and baby pink—sell far better in Asia than in Europe or the United States. The Italian brand has also used Chinese supermodel Liu Wen in its campaigns.
Not to be left behind, Japanese and South Korean brands such as Wacoal and Narue are also growing in popularity in China. But there are bumps in the lingerie market too.
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