Marie Jo

Quality, good fits and technical sophistication. Achiel and Margaret Van de Velde started their work as corset makers on these three values, and the company Van de Velde was thus founded in the Belgian town of Schebelle. The corset played a major role in contemporary fashion, and the couple's dream was to create well-fitting and beautiful corsets for all women – a dream they succeeded in achieving.

Achiel and Margaret's unrivaled craftsmanship and design visions were passed on to the next generations of the family, and in 1981 the brand Marie Jo was launched as an independent brand. A brand that would turn out to redethink and redefine lingerie development, both when it came to materials and designs. Among other things, it was Marie Jo who first launched a bra where the strap adjustment was on the back, instead of the front – a stroke of genius that has spread like ripples in the water, and can now be found on the vast majority of bras around the world.

Marie Jo's innovative eye for lingerie creation also manifested itself in the brand's aesthetics, and the two most iconic series such as Jane and Avero were born, and can now be found in millions of women's lingerie drawers worldwide. But what makes Jane and Avero so special? The answer is not straightforward, because it is the series ability to become so-called basic series, without there being anything ordinary or 'basic' about them. All parts of the bra are made with the greatest expertise and focus on the smallest details.

The Avero series has achieved its cult status for its smooth surface and discreet but classic checkered design with the flower between the cups as a signature, and the Jane series is loved worldwide for its feminine lace. Both series and all their descendants have many well-fitting shapes both with and without padding, in round shape, balconette, push-up or heart shape, which suit many different types of breasts.

And precisely the focus on diversity and technical ingenuity is the key to the success of the still family-owned company. At Van de Velde, they know that no two breasts are the same, which is why they have created their designs in many different and well-fitting shapes, so that more women around the world can enjoy their bras and find just the shape that brings it bring out the best in them. No one should wear lingerie where the underwire chafes, the strap falls down or the bust pops out. We must not adapt our bodies to the lingerie, we must adapt the lingerie to our bodies, and therefore the principle of diversity is a decisive factor when creating lingerie at Marie Jo.

Today, the brand is a global success, and the company can add the more edgy "bottom line" Marie Jo L'Aventure to the repertoire, just as in 2018 they launched their first swimwear collection, which continued the lingerie principles of fit and diversity, both in relation to tops and lower parts.

The current design team says that the principle of diversity is still a large part of the brand's DNA and an important part of the design process when new patterns, colors and prints are created. Although we all have different lives and preferences, we all have in common that we start the day by putting on our lingerie, so it's important that the lingerie we put on is comfortable and gives us confidence. To this day, Marie Jo is still part of Van de Velde, which is still owned by the same family that started the journey back in 1919.