News

PrimaDonna Sport x Team Belgium

20.04.2021

The Tokyo Olympic Games are less than 100 days away now, the perfect timing for our olympic and paralympic athletes from Team Belgium to present their official Olympic outfits this week. As an official partner, PrimaDonna Sport was also featured of course! Basketball player Marjorie Carpréaux modeled our PrimaDonna Sport bra ‘The Gym’, looking stylish and well-supported.

Andres Sarda Fashion Show

20.04.2021

On 9 april 2021, our Spanish brand Andres Sarda opened the Mercedes Benz Madrid Fashion Week with an amazing fashion show presenting its FW21 lingerie collection. The show depicted a promise of the times to come. It was situated in a post-pandemic era, in which we celebrate the return to normal life, without distances or masks and in a completely festive atmosphere.

You can watch the show here.

PrimaDonna wins Intima Best Boutique Brand Award

11.03.2021

We're very proud to announce that PrimaDonna has won the ‘Intima Best Boutique Brand Award’! This Award is a great recognition, because the votes were given by a panel of European independent lingerie boutiques. Liesbeth Van de Velde, Head of Design: "We're very happy with this great award, especially in these challenging times. I would like to thank our retail partners for their support and this great recognition. These were by no means easy times for them, but we’re very happy that we were able to strengthen our partnership and maintain their trust in our company. “

Marie Jo wins the Freundin Perfect Piece Award

11.03.2021

Our Marie Jo Nathy lingerie series won the Freundin Perfect Piece Award in the category ‘Underwear’! This Award is an amazing recognition of our talented Marie Jo design team’s efforts: season after season, they design the most beautiful lingerie with a perfect fit that makes women around the world feel elegant and feminine.

Andres Sarda Christmas lights in Madrid

17.11.2020

In these dark months, Christmas lights provide warmth and coziness, even more so given the special times in which we find ourselves. As a result, many cities go all out with their Christmas lights, and Madrid is no exception. Extra special is that this year the Spanish capital asked Spanish fashion designers to design the lighting, and our brand Andres Sarda also got the honor to be part of this exceptional project! The Andres Sarda designers were inspired by the famous 'Las Meninas' painting by Velasquez and designed the 'Supermenina', a phenomenal spectacle that is 10 meters high and 7.5 meters wide and consists of 40,000 LED lights!

#WeArePrimaDonna: women behind the brand in front of the lens

25.09.2020

Celebrating one-hundred years of Van de Velde… a milestone that we do not want to let pass unnoticed. For this special occasion, we created the #WeArePrimaDonna campaign in which we put the women who normally work behind the scenes for our brand PrimaDonna, in the spotlight. From the designers to the seamstresses in the studio and from the CEO to the many faithful retail partners: proud of their brand, these ambassadors were captured on camera by celebrated Belgian photographer Charlotte Abramow, radiating confidence and beauty in their lingerie.

Andres Sarda SS21 Fashion Show

11.09.2020

Our Spanish brand Andres Sarda has been a staple on the catwalk of Madrid Fashion Week for almost 25 years now, and this season is no different! Andres Sarda wowed the catwalk with their stunning Spring/Summer ’21 collection. Their vibrant fashion show, entitled ‘Agua’, staged an enchanting underwater world that took us on a journey to reconnect with nature and that encouraged us to embrace the power of our resilience.

Andres Sarda gifts swimwear to Hospital Clinic in Barcelona

14.07.2020

On July 10th, Van de Velde brand Andres Sarda gifted swimwear to over 1,500 medical personnel of the highly reputed Hospital Clinic in Barcelona.

The brand wanted to acknowledge the courage of these women and men, and give them a small token of appreciation to enjoy during their well-deserved summer break. The small ceremony was attended by Nuria Sarda and Eva Isart from Andres Sarda and by Maria Mateu and Dr Campistol, General Manager of the hospital.

Welcome to Boutique Bra-vo!

15.06.2020

Normally, our retail partners, the local lingerie boutiques, are always there for their customers. But because things haven't been easy for them during the corona crisis, we want to reverse the roles: now customers can give their local boutique a boost, via our 'Boutique Bra-vo' contest.

Customers can leave a message via 'Boutique Bra-vo', telling us why their favourite lingerie boutique is so great. All messages are shared with the boutiques afterwards, to give them a boost. Ready to say Bra-vo?

Van de Velde makes sustainable mouth masks for employees and retail partners

08.06.2020

Van de Velde believes that taking care of each other’s well-being is crucial in these times. And if we can do so in a fashionable and sustainable way, even better!

That is why we decided to gift reusable face masks to our employees and retail partners, made by the seamstresses in our atelier in Schellebelle with leftover fabrics from our lingerie and swimwear collections. It should come as no surprise that our employees and retail partners are proud to wear their carefully made, sustainable and fashionable masks to help keep those around them safe!

Thank your hero!

25.05.2020

Our brands Marie Jo and PrimaDonna would like to thank all the heroes who have worked or are working hard for others in this challenging period. Because we all know someone special whom we admire right now: someone who is working non-stop in a crucial sector, someone who helps out a neighbor in need, someone who combines caring for her family with her busy job... plenty of inspiring examples!

That's why we're launching a 'Thank Your Hero' campaign, where anyone can nominate a personal hero by sharing her inspiring story.

Van de Velde and several partners join forces in sewing surgical masks for local hospitals

17.03.2020

Being a family company, Van de Velde attaches considerable value to socially responsible entrepreneurship. This is why part of the seamstresses in the Schellebelle workshop are currently being deployed to sew Type 2 surgical masks for local hospitals. Van de Velde hopes to contribute to making a positive difference in these challenging times through this initiative.

Further to an urgent request issued by the general hospital in Aalst (Algemeen Stedelijk Ziekenhuis, ASZ) Van de Velde decided this week to deploy part of its workshop for the production of Type 2 surgical masks. Following a reorganization of the machinery, and after perfecting the pattern, the seamstresses produced the first batch last Wednesday. The project is a great success: Van de Velde is currently supplying the hospital with approximately 1,000 surgical masks each day, a portion of which are subsequently distributed by ASZ among the other hospitals in the region.

These seamstresses are using a sterile fabric which is provided by the hospital. Working in a thoroughly cleaned and disinfected, sterile environment, the seamstresses wear gloves and a face mask to ensure a strict level of hygiene.

Several partners are involved in this wonderful initiative who, just as Van de Velde, are lending their cooperation entirely free of charge:

• Microtherm, which is part of the Etex Group, is cutting the sterile fabric so that larger volumes can be sewn.

• Jetcar Expressdienst delivers the surgical masks to the hospital – within the space of one hour.

• Consultancy Firm Kearney coordinates the activities between the various companies.

Thanks to everyone’s help and dedicated efforts, this has grown into a successful and – above all – heart-warming initiative.

Marleen Vaesen, CEO of Van de Velde: “Being a socially engaged family company, Van de Velde’s participation in this initiative was self-evident. I am proud that our team was able to roll out this project so quickly, and that we could also count on the support of several loyal partners. In particular, I would like to thank our seamstresses. Their valuable expertise has always made them a crucial link in the production chain, but now they are truly the heart of our company.”

Liesbeth Van de Velde, Head of Design and manager of the workshop: “Our seamstresses were enthusiastic about this initiative right from the very beginning and were keen to offer their support to the care sector in these challenging times. They are not alone: the initiative engendered tremendous support here, and has awakened the interest of all our employees.”

Steven Heytens, Head of Etex: “‘Connect & Care’ is one of the basic values of the Etex Group. Our ‘Stitching for Life team’ was extremely happy to lend a helping hand to Van de Velde and the hospitals in this region. I would like to extend my gratitude particularly to all the employees involved in this project for their dedication and creativity, and for the positive and valuable message they are conveying to all employees in the care sector.”

David Brys, HR Manager at Jetcar NV: “When one of our employees learned that Van de Velde intended to produce surgical masks for local hospitals, we immediately offered our services as a logistics partner. Each and every member of our car team is committed to society and this is reflected in everything our company does. I am proud of our employees and hope that our contribution in getting these surgical masks to the hospitals as quickly as possible will contribute added value to the protection of all employees in the healthcare sector.”

Yvan Jansen, Senior Partner at Kearney: “Solidarity is crucial in these exceptional circumstances. The care sector can use all the support it can get, and we are happy to contribute to this by bringing together parties and coordinating solidarity initiatives.”

The pattern and step-by step sewing instructions are available via this link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/fic6uwz0ms5enr1/manual_VDV_mouthmasks_EN.pdf?dl=0

Andres Sarda tribute show

14.02.2020

Andres Sarda was the eye-catcher during Madrid Fashion Week: our Spanish luxury lingerie brand was given the great honor of opening the nation’s largest fashion event with its catwalk show. The dazzling show was a wonderful tribute by Nuria Sarda to her father and founder of the brand Andres Sarda, who passed away in September last year. The show was opened by four emblematic Spanish models from the 1990s who used to pose for the brand: Judit Mascó, Verónica Blume, Vanesa Lorenzo and Martina Klein. The show featured designs from the new Fall-Winter 2020 collection as well as iconic archive pieces, such as the mantilla that caught the eye of Jackie Kennedy during her visit to the Vatican in the 1960s. Since 1996, the Andres Sarda’s collections are presented on the Gaudí Barcelona and Madrid Fashion Week catwalks. On these occasions, the press and the public are immersed in a dreamy experience resulting from a masterful combination of stage design, music and handcrafted garments. The Andres Sarda shows have become some of the most highly anticipated events of the Spanish fashion scene.

Van de Velde and PrimaDonna win the Intima Award 2019 for Bestselling Lingerie Group in Europe and Bestselling European Brand

21.01.2020

A panel of 350 independent stores from France, Germany, Italy, the UK, and Spain declared Van de Velde as winner of the Intima Award 2019 for Bestselling Lingerie Group in Europe. Van de Velde claimed as much as 46% of the votes, which re-affirms our strong position on the European lingerie market.

Furthermore, PrimaDonna was also awarded. Our brand, which is dedicated to bigger cup sizes, gained the Intima Award 2019 for Bestselling European Brand for the third year in a row!

Intima handed over the Awards to CEO Marleen Vaesen, Chairman of the Board of Directors Herman Van de Velde and Head of Design Liesbeth Van de Velde at the SIL event in Paris last weekend.

Unique fashion show for 100 years Van de Velde

19.12.2019

Van de Velde exists 100 years and therefore celebrates a century of exceptional craftmanship, love and passion for lingerie design. The lingerie company opened this special festive year with a unique fashion show for international press. They showed the current collections of Marie Jo, PrimaDonna and Andres Sarda but also gave a peek of the exclusive vintage lingerie from the rich Van de Velde archive. The result was an unforgettable ode to 100 years of lingerie – from vintage corset to trendy bralette.

Van de Velde and BOIC together on the road to Tokyo 2020

02.12.2019

Van de Velde and the BOIC have announced that the lingerie group will become an official partner of the BOIC and will design the lingerie for Team Belgium's female athletes participating in the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Thanks to PrimaDonna Sport, a collection of trendy sports bras with an excellent fit, women get the support they need during exercise. Moreover, beautiful lingerie gives a boost to your self-confidence: PrimaDonna wants to give our female athletes a boost to achieve the best results in Tokyo.

Marleen Vaesen, CEO of Van de Velde: "We are very proud that we can offer our Belgian athletes the necessary support: not at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, but also in the pursuit of gender equality in the sports world. Our sports bra, which will be part of Team Belgium’s official outfit, is an absolute winner with a proven track record. After an extensive sports bra test, researchers from the University of Portsmouth concluded that PrimaDonna's patented sports bras not only have trendy looks, but also provide the very best support for your breasts during exercise. And of course, as a Belgian lingerie company, we are very proud to be able to support Team Belgium with our lingerie at a prestigious sporting event such as the Olympic Games."

PrimaDonna and Marie Jo launch limited editions in honor of 100 years of Van de Velde

20.11.2019

Lingerie that fits perfectly and looks good can really boost your self-confidence. Van de Velde, the Belgian lingerie group behind PrimaDonna, Marie Jo, and Andres Sarda, has been designing the most beautiful lingerie with the very best fit for a hundred years, from their studio in Schellebelle.

To celebrate this exceptional anniversary, PrimaDonna is launching two luxurious party editions of lingerie icons Deauville and A la folie. Marie Jo celebrates 100 years Van de Velde with a festive and unique version of its style icon Avero.

To mark the occasion, the campaign visuals were photographed at the studio, as a tribute to all the women who have put their hearts and souls into producing the most beautiful and comfortable lingerie over the past 100 years.

Marie Jo wins Freundin Perfect Piece Award in Germany

22.08.2019

The lingerie label Marie Jo, which forms part of the Belgian lingerie fashion house Van de Velde, is delighted to have won a Freundin Perfect Piece Award in Germany. Every season, the fashion and beauty magazine Freundin – one of Germany's most popular media titles – declares one particular garment or accessory to be the ultimate favorite product for the season. Marie Jo's Sakura set was pronounced the must-have in the category lingerie for the coming season (until winter 2019) by the Freundin jury.

Fashion designer David Tomaszewski and textile specialist Sabine Spieler were members of the Freundin jury this season, and reached their decision in consultation with the editorial team and a Freundin reader. They ranked the Marie Jo lingerie set above the many other candidates within the category. “We have come to the conclusion that Sakura is an absolute essential in any woman's winter wardrobe. That is why we have crowned it Freundin Perfect Piece,” explains Freundin.

For Van de Velde, this Perfect Piece Award is a recognition of Marie Jo's strength and world class. The Belgian label revolutionized the lingerie world in 1981 by offering women beauty and comfort combined. Since its inception, the brand has been committed to creating designs that feel as amazing as they look. With this unique combination, Marie Jo is also able to impress more and more women in fitting rooms around the world.

PrimaDonna named best-selling European brand

09.02.2018

The lingerie brand PrimaDonna, which is part of the Belgian lingerie fashion house Van de Velde, has been named the best-selling European brand by Intima Magazine for the second year in a row. During the magazine's annual poll, 350 independent lingerie shops in the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, France, and Germany were asked to identify their best-selling European brand. PrimaDonna received the most votes and came out on top yet again.

‘We are extremely proud to receive this award for the second time in a row,’ says Van de Velde CEO Erwin van Laethem. ‘A product that looks fantastic, feels comfortable, and fits perfectly is a unique combination for women with a larger cup size. I want to heartily thank all PrimaDonna design and sales teams for their passion and commitment. We hope to inspire even more women in 2018 to embrace their curves and strengthen their self-image.’

If you want to see how the PrimaDonna team has celebrated, click here.

Digitization and automation at Van de Velde

06.02.2018

On Saturday 20 January, Van de Velde featured in De Markt, an economic affairs programme run by the Flemish broadcaster VRT. In the programme, the public broadcaster takes an ever closer look at a specific aspect of the economy. This episode focused on how digitization and automation is changing business. While VRT was drawn to the negative side of this evolution, Van de Velde's CEO Erwin Van Laethem shone some light on its positive aspects. Van Laethem described how the business's search for innovative, digital profiles is having a positive effect on job growth. If you are interested and want to be part of Van de Velde's and its brands’ digital evolution, make sure to keep a close eye on our job openings.