Pocket history
Marie-Laurence Stévigny is a Belgian but international designer who values the notion of discreet luxury.
"Creating accessories that are simply beautiful, simply essential, simply familiar, simply rich, simply intimate and simply meaningful."
It all began, a few years ago in Brussels, with a stolen handbag and pockets stuffed with her security essentials.
Belgian stylist ML Stévigny specializes in creating accessory collections for prestigious international brands; since this incident, she has been traveling with her essentials camouflaged under her coat or jacket for the sake of lightness and safety...
And before that
NINA RICCI in Paris for 8 years as accessories, jewelry and leather goods designer in the studio of the Maison de haute couture on avenue Montaigne in Paris.
BILL AMBERG studio at
London for 6 years as a men's and women's accessories designer
senior with workshops located in the heart of Nothing Hill.
MLS is a graduate of the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne in Paris and the Institut Bischoffsheim in Brussels, trained
in shoe design at AFPIC in Paris, followed by several creative workshops at
Central St Martins College of Art and Design in London and a Master of business at Solvay business school in Brussels.
Photo credit: Nathalie Gabay
2004
Creation of the MLSTUDIO agency and design studio, specialized in the creation and
realization of accessories and leather goods, with numerous collaborations with world leaders in the luxury and lifestyle sectors, such as NIKE US, LACOSTE, ROCHAS, ASTON MARTIN, GUERLAIN, SAMSONITE etc.
2010
MLSTUDIO won a
Gold Fashion Award in Los Angeles at the IDA Awards (International
Design Awards) for the creation of a glove collection designed for the Agnelle brand.
2015
MLSTUDIO won the Who's Next and Première Classe awards in the accessory category for its first collaboration on the "Marie Laurence Stevigny by Agnelle" bag and glove collection, distributed for several years in high-end outlets in Japan, Italy, the United States, France and Belgium.
2017
Design studio MLSTUDIO
nominated in the fashion category as "Best of Belgium 2017" by Paris magazine
Match and Belgian national TV show "C'est du Belge".
2019
Launch of the MARIELAURENCESTEVIGNY Pocket and accessories concept in September 2019 at Première Classe Tuileries in Paris. Marie-Laurence Stévigny, a designer of good use and good sense, has designed her unisex, modular Pockets as dissociable, timeless and interchangeable pockets. The first boutiques to adopt the concept are in Japan, Russia and the USA.
The hidden element of clothing became an ornament, an outfit enhancer. Pockets were the first bags in the history of fashion, but also the first "hiding places" that brought emancipation to women who owned only what society was willing to concede them. Symbols of freedom, Pockets liberate movement, lighten the silhouette, highlight the moment, and take the prize.
2024
Acquisition and opening of MARIELAURENCESTEVIGNY Pocket and accessories shop at 19 avenue Brugmann, 1060 Brussels. 2024 Brussels commerce design award for the design of the first MLS Pocket shop created entirely by MLSTUDIO, based on the values of the brand concept: modularity, simplicity, lightness.
2025
Exclusive edition of selected pouches and accessories to be sold in the Belgian Pavilion boutique at the Osaka 2025 World Expo in Japan.
The workshops
MARIELAURENCESTEVIGNY leather accessories are of the highest quality, handcrafted by expert workshops, suppliers of international luxury brands with exclusive know-how.
We work mainly with a family-run expert leather workshop in Ubrique, a town in southern Spain. A workshop of leather goods experts and craftsmen founded in 1987.
ML our designer and the Spanish leather goods manufacturer have a long-standing business relationship, since our designer met them when she began her career at Nina Ricci in Paris: the leather goods manufacturer was already collaborating with luxury brands thanks to their expertise in handbags and small leather goods aimed at a demanding clientele worldwide.
Our soft nappa lambskin drawstring pockets and gloves are handcrafted in the workshops of a renowned French gantier who supplies the finest luxury houses.
For our leather notebooks, we collaborate with an expert Italian leather workshop located in the Florence region.
Our suppliers are chosen for their unique know-how: our exclusive SKIN striped ribbon is made on 19th century looms in a factory located in Chollet, France, classified as an EPV French Living Heritage Company.
Our leathers come from European tanneries, mainly from a Spanish tannery certified by LGW - Leather Working Group.
Museum and Pouches
Did you know that clutches were the first bags in the history of fashion and costume?
Spotted by the curator of the Musée de la modeste de la dentelle in Brussels as early as the brand's first year, our Pockets are part of the Museum's permanent collection. The museum selected some of our Pockets and Zips models and offered to acquire a carefully crafted selection. To highlight the original aspects of our creations, Marie-Laurence donated two prototypes of the first version of the collection, made in brown salpa.
The models were exhibited in 2023 in the museum's Studio alongside creations by Comme des Garçons, Yves Saint-Laurent and Christian Dior.
See the interview with Marie-Laurence Stévigny conducted by the Musée Mode et Dentelle in Brussels.