She is as discreet as she is elegant ; as sophisticated as she is ultra-busy. A graduate of "Chambre syndicale de la haute couture parisienne" fashion college, Belgian designer Marie-Laurence Stevigny has worked with many accessory brands for over 20 years. They range from small French fashion houses to American multinationals. She has built up a CV with craftsmanship and humanity at its core.

Perhaps you have already worn a pair of the lambskin gloves she designs each season for the French brand Agnelle. Perhaps you have been seduced by the pure lines of a Pourchet bag, without even knowing it was designed by her. Or maybe you own an accessory by Tintamar, Samsonite, Nike or Lacoste, some of the major mainstream brands with which Marie-Laurence Stevigny has previously worked. The Belgian designer is now based in Saint-Gilles. During her studies she immersed herself in the art of 3D design. She had work placements at Balmain, then in the accessories department of Nina Ricci, where she was employed from 1990. As the seasons passed by, Marie-Laurence Stevigny got her eye in, fine-tuned her style and discovered the art of doing things the French way.

A translator of ideas

For the last five years, she has been designing collections for the French glove maker Agnelle. "My job is to turn ideas into designs that can be made by the workshops of the fashion brands with which I work," says Marie-Laurence. "In the case of a glove, the surface area on which one can express oneself is microscopic. I'm lucky that, with Agnelle, almost anything is technically possible. The know-how their manufacturers have gives me great freedom of action." Creating desire is one of Marie-Laurence Stevigny's aims. The other is to tell stories. "It’s essential to respect the values of the brand and its language while still creating a story that can be understood through a single piece in the collection. In the case of Pourchet, for example, I start from the diamond-print canvas which is the brand's DNA, and which I express in different ways."

Simple beauty

Even though she does not impose any creative barrier on herself when she designs a bag or glove, Marie-Laurence Stevigny still manages to avoid any trace of ostentation. She says: "I hate it when a woman looks embarrassed by the accessory she's wearing. I like to make things as simple as possible while making them as comfortable as possible to use." It’s probably this attention to detail that enabled her to collaborate with brands from such different worlds. At the margins of her collaborations with Pourchet or Agnelle – a label for which she also designs a line of bags signed "Marie-Laurence Stevigny by Agnelle", which won her an award last year as well as some outlets in Asia – the Belgian designer has worked with giants like Lacoste and Nike. "I work on instinct, without really trying to compartmentalise my work," she says. "However, I have noticed that my projects don't encroach on one another." In the course of her career, Marie-Laurence Stevigny designed sets of luggage for the Bentley and Aston Martin brands, but also the Nike bags carried by tennis star Maria Sharapova at major international tournaments, as one-off pieces.

A blank page

At the time of this interview, Marie-Laurence Stevigny had just launched a new collaboration with a major French fashion house. At the same time, she is laying the foundations of her own brand. "I’ve never had the cult of ego," says the designer. "Working in the shadows does not bother me. However, at this stage, I’d like to throw myself into a project of my own." This new chapter remains confidential, but does not prevent her from pursuing collaborations with other brands: "Last year, I took the Thalys about a hundred times and I made 12 trips to China. When I design a collection, I spend only about half the time alone in the intimacy of my studio. The other half is spent in direct contact with my client." Marie-Laurence Stevigny's ultimate goal is to design pieces of a quality that will last. "As a designer, I believe that aspect forms part of our priorities," she says."It's part of the values that have to guide our creative process."  

Marie Honnay

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