Mademoiselle Jo – Joan Bebronne
Mademoiselle Jo is a Belgian design studio founded by Joan Bebronne, whose practice explores the relationship between craftsmanship, contemporary design, and enduring materials. Trained as a fashion designer at La Cambre, Bebronne spent more than two decades creating colours, textiles, and trends for the lingerie industry before turning her attention to collectible furniture and objects. Guided by intuition and a fascination with material, the studio creates sculptural pieces that balance elegance, functionality, and timeless appeal.
Rooted in a commitment to local craftsmanship and thoughtful production, Mademoiselle Jo develops furniture and lighting that blend traditional savoir-faire with contemporary techniques. Through refined forms, tactile materials, and meticulous detailing, the studio creates enduring objects designed to be lived with, passed on, and appreciated across generations.
Interview
I was born in Belgium and currently live in the surroundings of Brussels.
The Chagall sealing of Paris’s opera when I was 12 years old- that was my first time visiting Paris.
Trained as a stylist at “La Cambre”, I have worked for 25 years to create trends, colours and fabrics for the world of lingerie. For two years, I worked at Isabelle de Borchgrave’s studio. After which I launched Mlle Jo Design Studio, where we draw, develop, and produce poetic, useful, and sustainable objects.
I’m attracted to creation as a whole. I’m driven by passion, amazed by the creation; I’m full of emotion, I’m fuelled by constraint, consumed by inspiration, and blinded by beauty. Architecture has always been my passion, and as such, object design has become an obvious path for me.
My approach is based on intuition with a fascination for the material and the intention to offer something beautiful and different. My vision delicately intertwines heritage and technology, aiming to offer creations designed to last and be transmitted. While trying to produce as locally as possible and to highlight our know-how. I’m like a sponge; I soak up everything around me and reimagine it in my own way.
I start by having a look at the daily design newsletters I’m subscribed to. I take care of my emails. Some days, I create; some days I produce, but most of the time it’s solving issues.
My objects appear at first glance very simple, but they are the result of a reflection to ensure there is usefulness and versatility in each of them. I love the turn wood, stone & metal techniques; it gives curves in all directions and has a very soft aspect. I also cut models in 3d or paper (/ cardboard), like I did when I was making clothes. At school, we learned the direct bust-cutting technique. With which you cut off your model as a 3d sculpture. I still use it constantly for design nowadays.
Immerse yourself in inspiration to find what you like and what makes your heart move, and travel to look at things from a different point of view with a new eye in order to get out of your comfort zone. Be open to the unknown because the unknown is a source of freedom.
“Le Bauhaus” for its functional and distinguished shapes, as it merges art, craftsmanship, and industrial production. I love their use of frank materials and minimalism.
Hans J. Wegner, Arne Jacobsen, Ingo Maurer, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Le Corbusier, Marcel Breuer, Jean Prouvé.
Les Frères Bouroullec, Christophe Delcourt, Lindsey Adelman, Jaime Hayon.
Alexander McQueen, Ann Demulemeester, Manolo Valdes.
Timeless.
“Be open to the unknown because the unknown is a source of freedom.”
The Questions
(The Proust Questionnaire is a set of questions answered by the French writer Marcel Proust.
Other historical figures who have answered confession albums are Oscar Wilde,
Karl Marx, Arthur Conan Doyle, Stéphane Mallarmé, Paul Cézanne…)
Total peace of body of mind and world.
That something bad would happen to my children.
Lack of self-confidence.
Lack of honesty.
Jaime Ayon.
Shoes.
Trying my best in all domains.
Competitiveness.
Kindness.
Strength.
Trop cool.
Compose and play music as an excellent musician.
Be more serene.
My house.
A mirror that crosses countries and eras (period).
In a sunny natural place.
All my old pictures from before the smartphone.
Find oneself abandoned by everyone.
Thinking about new projects.
The love of detail.
Comprehension.
Laurent Gounelle.
Demelza Poldark in Poldark or Claire Fraser in Outlander.
Madeleine Vionnet.
All those who do things that are good for body and mind in every possible way: art, science, litérature …
Very short names, as Lilou or Tom :)
Disrespect.
Not yet having been able to take a world tour of arts and customs.
Quickly, while doing something I love with people I like.
Never give up.
“I’m like a sponge; I soak up everything around me and reimagine it in my own way.”
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