Profile

Born: 1986

Hometown: Tengzhou, Shandong Province

Moment: "I can walk in a crowded mall, naturally, with a pair of pink panties in my hand, without feeling embarrassed at all."

 

 A 27-year-old man closely examines a brassiere in his hands, carefully squeezing it and checking its symmetry. It's a typical scene on a typical day in Ma Zhiyuan's office. He's no pervert, because, surprise, surprise, he's actually a women's lingerie designer and buyer. Besides inspecting and readjusting the samples, Ma's daily schedule also includes designing, ordering fabric and delivering products.

Awkward moments

"I can walk in a crowded mall, naturally, with a pair of pink panties in my hand, without feeling embarrassed at all," said Ma, who used to feel awfully awkward about his job, but now with six years of experience has grown immune to his work environment, which is filled with panties, bras, lace and plastic female mannequins. "Talking about lingerie frankly and blandly is a requirement of this job, and my work ethics," he said.

Ma's work focus shifted from the designing department to the buyers' team two years ago, and the crowded, noisy work environment made him realize he doesn't have to be shy when discussing about how to improve a bra, either. Although a man dressed in casual urban attire speaking passionately about women's lingerie can be an odd sight, it's all about the right attitude, he said.

But there is one thing that he still can't overcome as a man. The designers, the manufacturers, the quality supervisors and people from other departments will be present in the fitting room with the fitting models to resolve problems, but female models usually refuse to let the male designers in the fitting room, said Ma. Therefore, Ma can only ask a female colleague to observe on his behalf and report the results to him later.

"Then I can imagine in my mind how they fit, and modify the samples," said Ma, who is quite proud of his ability to think visually. "I have to acknowledge that it's harder, but talking to colleagues always gives me more witty or funny insights."

Besides, thanks to the company's three-dimensional body database, Ma can design and adjust patterns according to the scientific data to make the product perfectly suited to a woman's body.

Fascination with underwear

Born in Tengzhou, Shandong Province, Ma grew up wanting to be a fashion designer, but never thought his internship at Beijing Aimer Lingerie would lead to a career in the industry of women's lingerie. Although specializing in menswear during college, after graduating in 2007, Ma decided to become a lingerie designer because he considered the great importance of underwear as the garment "closest to the human skin."

"And as a Taurus, I'm obsessed with objects of finer qualities, and desire exquisite materials and craftsmanship," Ma added.

Ma's family is proud of his career, and they all volunteer to be fitting models to show just how supportive they are. Ma's friends, parents and even his nieces and nephews try on the underwear samples to give their feedback.

Ma says they mostly enjoy trying new designs that haven't hit the market yet. But sometimes they hate it since they have to try thick thermal underwear in summer and swimsuits in winter because of the time gap between designing and releasing a new collection.

Ma's wife, sister and female friends always turn to him for advice in finding comfortable but trendy bras and how to wear them. Ma enjoys his role as lingerie connoisseur for them.

"Although people have their doubts at first because I am a man, my austere attitude and sincerity win over the naysayers," said Ma.

Defining 'sexy'

"A good piece of lingerie should have both reassuring quality and gratifying appearance, making people feel pleasant and confident when they are wearing it," said Ma. "Now people are gradually realizing the importance of underwear, and not just outerwear. It should be comfortable and beautiful in a private or shared way."

"Being sexy is one thing that makes a bra desirable, but that is hardly everything," said Ma. A professional designer can adapt to the different tastes of consumers, from designs for sophisticated ladies, to comfortable children's apparel, to dynamic teen brands.

Lingerie trends of the moment for the younger set, Ma points out, include bright colors and flowery prints; mature ladies prefer charming lace and subtle colors. This season, contrasting and fluorescent colors are in style, Ma said, along with stitched together fabrics and, of course, lace, the evergreen staple of lingerie that's always in vogue.