Marie-Jo, Prima Donna, Andres Sarda, these internationally recognized brands are all the property of a Belgian family who have been working in lingerie for almost a century: Van de Velde.

It was during a trip to London in 1917 that the young Achiel Van de Velde, then an artisan clog maker, had a vision. He realized that women’s fashion was changing. The Belgian decided to begin producing corsets with the help of his wife.

His children and grandchildren continued the adventure by launching and buying a number of lingerie brands.

In the 2000s, the group acquired boutiques in Europe and the United States. Although it is now a global empire, the company has never moved its headquarters, which is still based in the little Belgian village of Schellebelle.