Liu Minxia

    mllmx@msn.com

    ELEVEN years into its growth, Shenzhen’s annual lingerie fair has become the world’s largest show of its kind and opened in Futian District on Thursday.

    More than 800 lingerie producers from more than 20 countries and regions joined the three-day fair, which covers an area of 73,000 square meters at the Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center. The fair’s first session in 2005 was only 5,000 square meters.

    This year’s fair for the first time had halls dedicated to Internet-related development and new lingerie industry opportunities. These areas cover 15,000 square meters.

    The intimate apparel industry has become a pillar fashion industry for Shenzhen, according to Gao Lin, a deputy director for the city’s economy, trade and information commission.

    “Shenzhen currently boasts more than 400 lingerie producers, which churn out 800 million pieces of lingerie annually,” Gao said. “The output of Shenzhen’s lingerie industry is 40 billion yuan (US$6.5 billion).”

    National statistics show that output from Shenzhen’s lingerie industry accounts for 15 percent of the country’s total and one-third of Guangdong’s total. Shenzhen’s top lingerie brands have a market share of more than 50 percent in China.

    The fair saw more than a dozen Shenzhen lingerie designers as well as 50 overseas brands exhibiting their top products and telling stories about their brands during the event. The number of fair participants was at a new high this year.