Van de Velde N.V.
A Belgian publicly traded designer and manufacturer of premium lingerie and operator of specialist lingerie retail businesses.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Van de Velde N.V. is a Belgian lingerie group whose roots go back to a corset workshop founded by Achiel and Margaretha Van de Velde in 1919. Headquartered in Schellebelle, part of the municipality of Wichelen, the company developed from a family manufacturing business into an international group focused on premium and luxury lingerie, specialist fitting services, and lingerie retail. Although its corporate identity is associated with Belgium, its commercial activities extend across several European markets, the United Kingdom, the United States, and selected Asian and Middle Eastern markets. The company initially concentrated on corsets. After the Second World War, it broadened its assortment to include bras, tights, and other forms of intimate apparel, while also building export activity in the Netherlands and producing high-end lingerie for private-label customers. A major strategic shift came in 1981 with the creation of Marie Jo, Van de Velde's first principal consumer brand. The group subsequently expanded through brand development and acquisitions, including the German lingerie company PrimaDonna in 1990 and the Spanish lingerie company Eurocorset together with the Andrés Sardá brand in 2008. Van de Velde's principal product brands are Marie Jo, PrimaDonna, and Sarda. These brands address different segments of the premium lingerie market, with collections spanning everyday support, fashion-oriented lingerie, swimwear, and sports-oriented products. Marie Jo L'Aventure, PrimaDonna Twist, PrimaDonna Swim, PrimaDonna Sport, Marie Jo Intense, and Marie Jo Swim represent notable extensions of the group's portfolio. The company designs its products in Belgium, while manufacturing is carried out internationally, particularly in Tunisia and also in China. Retail and fitting expertise are another important part of the group's business model. Van de Velde has owned or operated specialist retail concepts including Rigby & Peller and Lincherie, and has been involved in the development of fitting-led store formats and lingerie-styling services. Its retail expansion included activities in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, the United States, and selected international locations. The company also formed partnerships in China and Hong Kong around the Private Shop retail concept before selling its participation to its partner in 2019. Van de Velde became publicly listed in Brussels in 1997 and marked twenty-five years of stock-market listing in 2022. The company remains associated with the founding family and has retained a strong focus on premium positioning, specialist fit, brand heritage, and distribution through lingerie specialists. Its workforce has included more than 1,500 employees across Belgium, Tunisia, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, Finland, the Netherlands, Hungary, and Spain. The business is best understood not as a general industrial manufacturer, but as an international intimate-apparel group combining branded lingerie production with specialist retail and fitting services.
History
Van de Velde was established in 1919 by Achiel and Margaretha Van de Velde. Its first generation built the business around corset manufacturing, establishing the technical and production base from which the later lingerie group developed. During the period from 1919 to 1945, the company remained principally associated with corsetry. After 1945, the second generation expanded the product range into bras and tights. The company also increased exports to the Netherlands and produced high-end lingerie for private-label customers. This combination of manufacturing expertise, export activity, and premium positioning prepared Van de Velde for the transition from an industrial supplier into a branded lingerie company. The group's first major proprietary brand, Marie Jo, was introduced in 1981. Van de Velde then strengthened its presence in premium lingerie through the acquisition of the German company PrimaDonna in 1990. In 1997, it became a publicly listed company on the Brussels stock exchange. The same year saw the introduction of Marie Jo L'Aventure, extending the Marie Jo brand into a distinct design direction. During the 2000s, Van de Velde pursued a broader international and retail strategy. It acquired a participation in TopForm International in 2001 and opened its first company-operated or owned-and-operated store in 2002. In 2007, the company formed a strategic alliance with the United States multi-brand retailer Intimacy Management LLC and introduced its Lingerie Styling programme. The following year, it launched the Marie Jo Intense sports-lingerie line and acquired Spanish lingerie company Eurocorset and the Andrés Sardá brand. The group continued to extend its portfolio and retail footprint in the next decade. It launched PrimaDonna Twist in 2010, acquired an 85 percent stake in Intimacy USA, and purchased the Dutch LinCHerie retail chain. In 2011, it acquired an 87 percent majority stake in British specialist retailer Rigby & Peller and entered a joint-venture arrangement with Getz Bros. to operate and develop Private Shop in China and Hong Kong. The acquisition of Donker stores in the Netherlands followed in 2012. Product development continued with PrimaDonna Swim in 2013, PrimaDonna Sport in 2017, and Marie Jo Swim in 2018. Retail and brand milestones included Rigby & Peller's seventy-fifth anniversary in 2014, the rebranding of Intimacy stores in the United States under the Rigby & Peller name and visual identity in 2015, and the opening of Rigby & Peller Dubai in Dubai Festival Mall in 2016. Lincherie was recognized by the Dutch GfK awards as a leading lingerie store for a second consecutive year in 2015. In 2014, Intimacy became wholly owned by Van de Velde. In 2019, the group sold its participation in Private Shop in China and Hong Kong to Getz Bros. and celebrated its one-hundredth anniversary. The company continued as a family-associated, publicly traded lingerie group, designing products in Schellebelle while relying on international production, especially in Tunisia and China. In 2022, it commemorated twenty-five years of stock-market listing. Its modern business combines premium lingerie brands, product innovation, specialist fitting, and selected retail operations.
- 2022
Twenty-five years listed
[1]The company marked twenty-five years as a listed business on Euronext Brussels.
- 2019
Private Shop participation sold
[1]Van de Velde sold its participation in Private Shop in China and Hong Kong to Getz Bros.
- 2019
Centenary
[1]Van de Velde celebrated one hundred years of operation.
- 2018
Marie Jo Swim launched
[1]Marie Jo expanded into swimwear.
- 2017
PrimaDonna Sport launched
[1]The group introduced a sports-lingerie extension under PrimaDonna.
- 2016
Rigby & Peller Dubai opened
[1]Rigby & Peller opened a store in Dubai Festival Mall.
- 2014
Intimacy became wholly owned
[1]Van de Velde completed the move to full ownership of Intimacy.
- 2013
PrimaDonna Swim launched
[1]PrimaDonna expanded into swimwear.
- 2012
Donker stores acquired
[1]The company acquired Donker stores in the Netherlands.
- 2011
Rigby & Peller and Private Shop expansion
[1]Van de Velde acquired a majority stake in Rigby & Peller and agreed a joint venture with Getz Bros. for Private Shop in China and Hong Kong.
Products and positioning
Premium and luxury lingerie supported by specialist fit, lingerie styling, European brand heritage, and selective retail distribution.
Premium fashion lingerie · 1981
Marie Jo
Marie Jo is Van de Velde's flagship premium lingerie brand, launched in 1981. It covers fashion-led bras, briefs, lingerie sets, and related seasonal collections. The brand has been extended through concepts including Marie Jo L'Aventure, Marie Jo Intense, and Marie Jo Swim, allowing it to address distinctive design, activewear, and swimwear needs while retaining a premium positioning.
Supportive premium lingerie
PrimaDonna
PrimaDonna is a major premium lingerie brand acquired by Van de Velde in 1990. It is associated with supportive, fit-focused lingerie and collections designed for fuller-bust consumers. Product extensions include PrimaDonna Twist, PrimaDonna Swim, and PrimaDonna Sport, giving the brand a presence in fashion, swimwear, and sports-oriented categories.
Luxury lingerie
Sarda
Sarda, formerly associated with the Spanish Andrés Sardá brand, forms part of Van de Velde's premium and luxury lingerie portfolio. Its identity is rooted in Spanish design heritage and fashion-oriented intimate apparel. The brand broadened the group's geographic and stylistic reach following the acquisition of Eurocorset and Andrés Sardá in 2008.
Specialist lingerie retail
Rigby & Peller
Rigby & Peller is a specialist lingerie retail brand focused on premium products, personal fitting, and customer service. Van de Velde acquired a majority stake in the British retailer in 2011. The concept later expanded to the United States through the rebranding of Intimacy stores and to the Middle East with a Dubai location.
Specialist lingerie retail
Lincherie
Lincherie is a specialist lingerie retail chain in the Netherlands acquired by Van de Velde in 2010. The format emphasizes premium lingerie selection and expert fitting. Its stores formed part of the group's strategy of combining branded product development with direct relationships with specialist lingerie consumers.
Marketing campaigns
- 2007Lingerie Styling programme
United States
Van de Velde introduced a lingerie-styling service in connection with its US retail development and alliance with Intimacy Management LLC. The initiative emphasized personal advice and fit rather than treating lingerie as a purely self-service apparel purchase.
Outcome. The programme reinforced the group's specialist-fitting and service-led retail positioning.
Brand decisions
2019
Exit from Private Shop ventureM&ABackground
Van de Velde had operated and developed Private Shop in China and Hong Kong through a joint venture with Getz Bros.
Action taken
The company sold its participation in the venture to Getz Bros.
Aftermath
Getz Bros. assumed full ownership of the Private Shop participation, while Van de Velde continued to focus on its core lingerie brands and selected retail activities.
2011
Majority investment in Rigby & PellerM&ABackground
The group was extending beyond manufacturing into specialist lingerie retail and fit-based customer service.
Action taken
Van de Velde acquired an 87 percent majority stake in British retailer Rigby & Peller.
Aftermath
Rigby & Peller became an important retail and fitting platform within the group, later supporting international brand expansion.
2008
Acquisition of Eurocorset and Andrés SardáM&ABackground
Van de Velde pursued international portfolio growth and sought to add Spanish lingerie design and manufacturing capabilities.
Action taken
The group acquired Spanish lingerie company Eurocorset and the Andrés Sardá brand.
Aftermath
The transaction added Sarda to the group's premium brand portfolio and increased its Spanish presence.
1997
Public listing in BrusselsStrategyBackground
After decades of family-led manufacturing and brand development, Van de Velde pursued access to public capital and a formal listed-company structure.
Action taken
The company listed on the Brussels stock exchange.
Aftermath
The listing established Van de Velde as a publicly traded Belgian lingerie group; it later became associated with Euronext Brussels.
1990
Acquisition of PrimaDonnaM&ABackground
Van de Velde sought to strengthen its position in premium lingerie through ownership of the German PrimaDonna business.
Action taken
The company acquired PrimaDonna and incorporated the brand into its expanding portfolio.
Aftermath
PrimaDonna became one of the group's principal lingerie brands and later gained swimwear, sports, and fashion extensions.
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