Marie Jo
PrimaDonna's fashion-forward sister — trend-driven European lingerie
The Fashion House Within a Lingerie Empire
Marie Jo was launched in 1981 as the fashion-forward counterpart to PrimaDonna within the Belgian Van de Velde group. While PrimaDonna was built on engineering and full-bust expertise, Marie Jo was designed to compete directly with French fashion lingerie — brands like Chantelle and Simone Perele — by combining Van de Velde's legendary construction quality with seasonal trend awareness and a more youthful, design-led aesthetic. The result is a brand that delivers Belgian engineering in French-style packaging: lingerie that is both impeccably constructed and irresistibly fashionable.
What Makes Marie Jo Different
Marie Jo benefits from Van de Velde's engineering infrastructure — the same proprietary underwires, the same multi-panel cup construction, the same obsessive quality control — but applies it to silhouettes and fabrics that are driven by fashion rather than function alone. Each season brings new collections inspired by runway trends, contemporary art, travel, and cultural moments. The design team in Belgium works with fabric mills across Europe to develop exclusive laces, embroideries, and prints that appear nowhere else. This dual identity — engineering precision dressed in high fashion — is what separates Marie Jo from both its parent brand and its French competitors.
Key Product Lines
Avero is the perennial bestseller, a padded round-shape bra with a cheerful daisy-inspired lace that has become the brand's visual signature. Tom offers a sportier, more contemporary silhouette with graphic lace. Jane provides classic elegance with a floral lace overlay. Marie Jo L'Aventure (now integrated into the mainline) was the edgier, more provocative sub-brand that pushed design boundaries. Each collection offers coordinating bras, briefs, thongs, shorts, and frequently bodies and chemises.
Who Marie Jo Is Best For
Marie Jo is for the woman who wants lingerie that feels designed — who appreciates seasonal colour palettes, who notices the difference between generic lace and exclusive embroidery, and who wants her underwear to feel as considered as her outerwear. It is the natural choice for the fashion-conscious European woman, and an exciting discovery for American women accustomed to the more limited design vocabulary of domestic brands. Particularly strong for A-through-F cups who want construction quality without sacrificing fashion.
Price Range
Bras from $80 to $130, underwear from $30 to $55, swimwear from $85 to $140. Premium pricing positioned between accessible brands and true luxury, reflecting the European production and exclusive fabrics.
Size Range
Bras from 30A to 38F in most styles. Underwear from XS to XL. The range is more focused than PrimaDonna's, reflecting Marie Jo's emphasis on fashion silhouettes that work best in a core size range.