These Asian sex toy brands aren’t just selling female-friendly vibrators, they’re helping women get in touch with their sexuality
- Hong Kong adult brand We Are Fk and Singapore’s Smile Makers want to challenge antiquated perceptions about sex and female pleasure
- They are also helping women assert control over their sex lives so they can reach new highs in self-esteem and lower anxiety
The sexual revolution of the 1980s introduced women to the idea that they, too, could enjoy sex like men did, thanks to the advent of female contraception and more liberal social views. Today, another sexual revolution is taking place – not in the streets, but on slick digital stores that peddle vibrators and lube in the most innocuous ways.
This new generation of adult brands is fronted by people who no longer want women to “suffer in silence” when it comes to their sexual well-being.
One of those brands is Hong Kong-based We Are Fk. Set up earlier this year, its online store curates a wide range of sexual wellness products – from futuristic-looking clitoral vibrators to fetish gear essentials – all on a pared-back site that barely hints at the nature of its merchandise.
Co-founder Petra Greening explains that talking about sex can be uncomfortable for some, especially those in conservative Asia, which is why she has designed the store to be as non-threatening and approachable as possible.
“Being a ’90s kid in Hong Kong, I have to say we were never taught about sexuality,” she says. “Reproduction, yes – but pleasure, gender, sexuality? No.”
That sort of silence has perpetuated a culture that perceives female pleasure as “shameful” and something that should be “hidden”, she says.