Men pose in lingerie on online shopping livestreams after China bans female models

Social media is flooded with pictures of Chinese men donning varied lingerie styles

"Where there is a will, there is a way". And Chinese companies' introduction of male lingerie models is one such example of strong will combined with innovation.

As the Chinese government has banned women from showcasing undergarments online, livestream fashion companies in the country have started deploying men to do the job.

Social media is flooded with pictures, apparently screenshots of livestream broadcast by fashion companies, of Chinese men donning varied lingerie styles ranging from push-up bras to lace-trimmed nightgowns. Some of the male models were seen with cat ear headbands as well.

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Although the practice received diverse reaction on social media, for the Chinese companies, it is just an innovative way to keep their businesses running while adhering to the government norms.

“This is not an attempt at sarcasm. Everyone is being very serious about complying with the rules,” an owner of an online venture was quoted as saying by a state media.

China's livestreaming ecommerce is a $700 billion industry, according to Statista, and it reportedly grew the most during the Covid-19 lockdown.

While the companies argued that it is just a safe way to deal with China's strict censorship rules, this is not the first time that men are seen promoting female products online.

Austin Li Jiaqi, one of China's most popular livestream shopping influencers, has been dubbed the "Lipstick King" for selling 15,000 lipsticks in just five minutes in 2018, according to reports.