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Zoey Zhang

From a former lecturer to the mastermind behind a lingerie empire, Zhang Rongming’s journey reshaped China’s intimate apparel industry with innovation and a keen eye for market trends.
Zhang, 64, from Suzhou in Jiangsu province, eastern China, is the founder and chairman of Aimer, a leading lingerie brand.
He excelled in metallurgy and chemistry during his university years, later pursuing graduate studies.
In the late 1980s, while teaching at Shougang Institute of Technology in Beijing, he developed high-performance coated blades and earned his first fortune.

In 1991, Zhang encountered a shape-memory alloy material during a research project; one of its applications was the supportive steel rings used in women’s lingerie.
At the time, most bras in China lacked adequate elastic support, making them uncomfortable, while advanced steel-ring technology was only available in Japan.
Zhang saw a profitable gap in the Chinese market for steel-ring bras.
After countless trials, he developed an elastic memory alloy underwire.
Determined to find a partner, he pitched his product to several factories but faced repeated setbacks.
Zhang admitted feeling ashamed: “At that time, I had no concept of bras. Even though I was married, I had never paid attention to what type of lingerie my wife wore.”

In 1992, a nearly bankrupt fashion factory approached Zhang, and they quickly struck a deal.
Zhang raised 800,000 yuan (US$116,000) in start-up capital from friends and invested heavily in high-quality lingerie materials, including lace from Japan.
He aimed to use technology to create lingerie that would make Chinese women feel both comfortable and dignified.
On International Women’s Day the following year, Zhang launched his lingerie brand Aimer, named after the French word for “love”.
Aimer’s first bra was priced at 49 yuan (US$7), while the average monthly living expenses of urban residents in China in 1993, were just 195 yuan (US$28).
Despite this, Zhang was determined to create a premium brand, not a cheap product.
His innovation filled a gap in China’s steel-ring bra market and appealed to women who valued quality.

Within a short time, Aimer became the market leader in Beijing, with annual sales reaching one billion yuan (US$145 million).
By 2000, Zhang expanded the brand to include men’s and children’s categories.
In 2021, Aimer went public on the Shanghai Stock Exchange, becoming “China’s first lingerie stock”.
Over the past 30 years, the company has opened more than 1,600 shops and holds over 400 patents.
Zhang once told the mainland media outlet Tai Media that one of his greatest challenges came from Victoria’s Secret.

Known for its emphasis on “extreme sensuality”, the American lingerie giant revolutionised the global industry through its iconic fashion shows.
In 2017, Victoria’s Secret entered the Chinese market but quickly faced losses and shop closures.
This inspired Zhang, who believed that Chinese women’s aesthetic preferences were rooted in modesty and practicality, prioritising comfort.
In traditional Chinese society, lingerie is seen as a private, often hidden item.
Drawing on Chinese cultural heritage for design inspiration, Aimer introduced a lingerie series featuring Dunhuang colours and patterns.
Last year, Zhang was reportedly listed on the Hurun Rich List to have a net worth of 5.3 billion yuan (US$770 million).
According to the Huajing Industry Research Institute, China’s lingerie market reached 250 billion yuan (US$36 billion) in 2024, solidifying its position as a major global consumer market.
As demand for comfort, functionality and style rises, Aimer is actively transforming, focusing on innovations like wireless and sports bras, while also expanding into international markets.
Zhang has always carried a restless entrepreneurial spirit within him.

His journey reportedly began in childhood, when he would catch rice field eels at night and sell them at the market the next morning, even while still in primary school.
He has inspired many people on mainland social media.
One online observer said: “A man who can focus on women’s fashion and diligently develop the technology behind it is truly remarkable.”
While another wrote: “Aimer truly cares about women. While products may be replaced by new tech and prices may always drop, it is a brand’s identity that guarantees its lasting legacy.”


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Ex-China university lecturer sets up luxury lingerie brand, earning US$770 million fortune

Zhang Rongming, a former university lecturer, transitioned from materials science to founding the high-end lingerie brand Aimer in 1993. Photo: SCMP composite/Xinhua/Douyin

From a young age, Zhang Rongming, above, always displayed an entrepreneurial spirit. Photo: weixin.qq.com

Before branching out into underwear, Zhang was a lecturer at Shougang Institute of Technology in Beijing.   Photo: weixin.qq.com

Research documentation for the under band of a super-elastic shape memory alloy bra which Zhang created. Photo: weixin.qq.com

Models strut their stuff on the catwalk to showcase lingerie from the Aimer brand. Photo: weixin.qq.com

The tastefully decorated front entrance of one of Aimer’s lingerie shops. Photo: weixin.qq.com

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Zhang Rongming, who built underwear empire, admits: ‘I never paid attention to what type of lingerie my wife wore’


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.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Zhang Rongming, who built underwear empire, admits: ‘I never paid attention to what type of lingerie my wife wore’

Zhang Rongming, who built underwear empire, admits: ‘I never paid attention to what type of lingerie my wife wore’