Van de Velde: A Century of Lingerie

A Time-Warped Runway Show: From Past to Present

December marked the beginning of the celebrations to come with great fanfare. At Hangar 43 in Baasrode, accompanied by its teams, retailers and its main partners, Van de Velde blew out its 100 candles. Retracing a century of lingerie from the family business, the fashion show paid a unique tribute to its success and dedication. Magnificent pieces were dusted off from Van de Velde's rich archives for this journey into the past. As a special treat, these vintage and unique lingerie sets were worn, not by the typical models, but rather, by Flemish personalities and by Van de Velde’s very real staff who went out on the catwalk getting a taste of the spotlight and coming out from their typical work behind-the-scenes. The event also doubled as an opportunity to unveil the brand new lingerie and swimwear collections for 2020.

An Exclusive Look Into the Past

A special journal was also published, entirely devoted to the history of the family business. The pages allow the curious to plunge into a century of lingerie and (re)discover Van de Velde in the past, present … and future! The journal combined a resolutely rich edition of exclusive testimonials, beautiful memories, and unpublished photos.

A Twist on the Classics

As for the lingerie itself, to mark the anniversary, the Avero bra by Marie Jo, originally launched in 1981, has been embellished in a glamorous way that will certainly leave an impression. Over the years, this iconic series has been available in more than 45 colors and, each season, it is renewed in a trendy color to complement a permanent one. As for the 100-year festive edition, the iconic plaid knit of the daisy bra has become still more decadent with a flowery print and straps decorated with daisies, all in a scintillating bronze shade.

The limited-edition Deauville by PrimaDonna is adorned with embroidery and brilliantly chic details. An essential piece of the collection is the Deauville corset, to be worn as an elegant top or as an attractive sculpting garment. As a nod to the corsetry of yesteryear, the cult style icon, At La Folie by PrimaDonna Twist, was also revisited for the occasion, giving pride of place to embroidery in a timeless black and vintage nude.

Best Selling Awards

Once a year, Intima Media Group and its partner magazines (Sous, Underlines, CYL, and Mody) carry out a qualitative survey on the best independent multi-brand retailers in Europe: a panel of 350 stores, selected from national best retail awards, were interviewed in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK and the cumulative results show PrimaDonna scoring number one amongst the best-selling brands in the lingerie category, with very strong preferences in France and Spain where it is mentioned by 50% of the stores! Moreover, if we consider the whole Van de Velde portfolio with PrimaDonna, Prima Donna Twist, Marie Jo, Marie Jo L’Aventure, Andrès Sarda, the score rises to 46% of the entire panel! No better way to celebrate the company’s 100th anniversary!