- Reason One - Delvaux’s Obvious Durability As a passionate collector of Delvaux handbags – it is just painstakingly obvious: Their bag’s quality just lasts ~. There is no better measure than looking at their vintage bags to understand what we mean by this: We have Delvaux bags in our collection of 40, 50, 60 or 70 years of age, which still look absolutely stunning. Not only does Delvaux select the best leathers and uses impeccable craftmanship to work them, but Delvaux is also dying their leathers with aniline teint. Aniline teint is light in pigmentation – different to i.e. strongly pigmented EPI leathers commonly used i.e. by Louis Vuitton. Over the years the aniline teinted leather retains a shine, which is attributed to this procedure. For us using Aniline teint itself is a wonderful ode to the history of la maison Delvaux. Aniline, being one of the first synthetic dyes invented in 1843, is still in use today - and we love the fact that Delvaux stays true to old craftmanship techniques including the use of teint as this. Vintage is Vintage One never can expect a bag after many years of handling to be at 100%. However they don't need to be - with the lasting leather quality the pre-requisite is set and beyond this - there is the appeal of the bags telling a story that a new one cannot and the fact that it makes you feel less guilty should you ever accidently damage your beautiful Delvaux bag.... ~ Overall Delvaux really just makes us proud of Belgian craftmanship when you see the age and the extent of quality of the bags next to each other. There is no other thing than pride taking a vintage Delvaux for a walk - especially through the wonderful cherry blossom season currently all over Brussels. - The bag's look, the history and in the end the rarity of the Delvaux bag in your hand makes this a unique stand-out experience... - and you can be sure never to bump into anyone carrying the same bag on the street. - Reason Two - Continuous Focus on Quality 1st! From 1829 to now - Delvaux never stopped focusing on quality first & attractive here is their consistency in maintaining it always. - One cannot stay in business for over 190 years without this base element creating consistent customer satisfaction. In Quality Delvaux sets the bar high in walking the talk – from leather selection to assembly, to final “bichonnage” - quality is in-built and a painstaking process of exactitude. From design to finish, their bags are crafted to last for life, which is why in Belgium they are handed down over many generations (and thus stay in close circulation, which makes them hard to get by for the collector!). Before starting the crafting process of a bag, Delvaux will critically inspect the leathers by craftsmen seasoned in this job over many years to strictly select the most appropriate leather for the bag. Delvaux typically works with the “fleur” the flower part of the leather – the first layer, which is the thinnest one and has the longest ageing potential. - The fact that Delvaux uses light pigmenting aniline teint for their leather means there is no hiding behind the bush – defects of the leather are not covered by strong pigmentation - so highest quality of leathers matters. Aside this, this procedure also fits very well with Delvaux’s philosophy of wanting to really showcast the quality of craftmanship and material used. (source from delvaux.com) Before moving to the assembly process Delvaux will further work on enhancing the durability, quality and strength of structure of their leather by the 3 “R” processes “refente”, “rembord”, “renfort” (“slitting” to thin the leather further, “skiving” to reduce and smoothen the edges of the leather, “reinforcement” to enhance the strength/ thickness of the leather). In the assembly process a bag will then be taken care of by one artisan craftsman from start to finish. The artisans are accountable and proud of the finished product and proud working for Delvaux, many of which who have been with la Maison for over 15 years. The artisans have good reasons to be proud - it takes a long time of exacting apprenticeship in Delvaux to be allowed to assemble a bag. Some wait many years to be allowed to do so and it can be up to 3 years before they may be allowed to make a wallet alone... particularly if using exotic leathers. Through strictly sticking to its standards and putting priority on quality first, Delvaux has managed to continuously refine and then sustain its quality over many years. - Reason Three - Volume is not Everything Not being about volume is another way of saying – rarity plays. What we love about Delvaux is that they care about producing bags of impeccable craftsmanship and want these bags to last a lifetime. As a collector we like to own something special, something that is not in everyone’s hand - a vintage Delvaux is always special, which makes you stand out from the crowd. At the oldest luxury leather handbag manufacturer of the world, maintaining quality leather and not following the latest fashion is an inbuilt attitude, Not only does Delvaux source their leather through sustainable sources, handles the bag through a quality focused process, but they also care about long term support of the client and the leather bag. Delvaux offers a bag spa services similar to Hermès, which gives a lifetime boost to their product. Product Quality is Key, Volume Comes Second Delvaux will issue about 2 major collections per year not connected to any fashion trend, but rather following its latest inspiration – this could be a historic event, such as the 200 years of the French revolution, the collaboration with an outside designer/artist or the re-interpretation of Belgian’s prominent surrealist René Magritte. With its close to 200 years, Delvaux gives balance to the luxury bag market and stays true to its – Belgian – identity "Belgitude". - Reason Four - To Invest into the Vintage & the New Let’s recap the facts: Delvaux is a brand that exists for over 190 years, which managed through its discretion, its exclusive – royal & aristocratic – customer base and its tiny production volumes, to stay continuously in business and in the know of only a few. This is a brand that has been for years part of exclusive presents given to state leaders visiting this country – and which has worked with leading designers, before the world even knew them. Let’s not forget that some top Hermès artistic directors started off their careers in Delvaux - such as Nadège Vanhee-Cybulski (Late 90’s early 2000), Martin Margiela (in 1983) … This is not to mention other leading designers and artistic directors Delvaux worked with, such as Charles Kaisin, Didier Vervaeren and Princess Frédéric de Broglie – otherwise known as Christina Zeller. - Reason Five - Customer Care A few years ago, when we started our vintage Delvaux collection and we started to walk into the Delvaux shop in Brussels, asking about one of our first bags, - we had a positive surprise. We found welcoming staff with good knowledge of the house's heritage and who were attentive to their customers. No judgement or looking down on you because of bringing in a vintage product with questions, as opposed to taking interest in the latest collection. On the contrary there was joint excitement to review and look at the beauty of their heritage. Which brings us to the next reason why Delvaux, vintage or new, just makes sense - an outstanding customer experience. In all modesty, we did have our fair share Delvaux visits, reviews, and discussions – partially because we were buying new, our vintage collection enjoyed a good spa or because they assisted us with research into one of our collectibles. The Passion of Staff No matter the reason, every time we get treated well and time flies. We can discuss in tranquillity our vintage bags or get to peek at the new collection. The sale’s staff is always helpful with advice on the technicalities of the new bags on offer or is sharing our passion discussing the old. Already mid-century Franz Schwennicke, the ex owner’s family, established a behaviour guideline, which has become the “D-attitude” – the art of building a lasting customer relationship and a real feeling of exclusivity. His philosophy was that a customer well treated any time coming into the shop and even not buying, may very well return 5 years down the road as a buying customer. From our experience we can testify that this philosophy has carried forward to this day.
