Is a classic defined by the look or antiquity of an item? We’d like to think that it requires a certain balance of both. Think of a tan-coloured trench coat that goes with all of your autumn favourites or a Brenton striped shirt that you can wear throughout spring and summer. These items’ status as wardrobe staples is so longstanding that we often forget their provenance, which both predate the 20th century and were used during wars before they became part of everyday fashion looks. Take the standard leather bag as another case study of this circumstance since many may be unaware that the go-to purse was initially designed and patented by a Belgian company called Delvaux. Founded in Brussels in 1829, it is one of the oldest and most active luxury houses in the world that defined the modern bag as we know it today.
In 1908, the Maison filed the premiere patent for one of the most timeless bags that will never go out of style: the leather handbag. The Delvaux leather bag was the simple yet effective solution to needing sturdier handbags at the time and had unimaginable staying power–solidifying the brand’s status as the vanguard of fine leather goods. Since then, the brand has remained a mainstay in the leather luxury goods market, creating iconic designs such as the Brillant (1958), The Tempête (1967) and, The Pin (1972), The Lingot (2022). Today, Delvaux reinterprets its classic bags with new design features, like the leather lacing that you can find in the brand’s latest collection, “Leather Mastery.” With its neutral-toned palette and classic silhouettes, these timeless bags will slip into your wardrobe rotation with ease, almost like they had been there all along.
Delvaux’s “Leather Mastery” collection focuses on two of the Maison’s classic bags, the Brilliant and the Pin. The brand’s exceptional team of artisans created these bags with new leatherworking techniques, so that they may bring the finest craftsmanship from Delvaux’s French and Belgian ateliers to their international customers. In addition to the new line, the brand has also expanded its network, opening stores in the Middle East and enlisting the creative talent of the South African-born photographer Koto Bolofo to roll out its international campaign. The photographer animated the “Leather Mastery” collection with a series of lively portraits, reminding us that the reason why classics are classics is because they can be reimagined and reframed in an endless amount of new ways.
