Delvaux vintage crossbody in cognac trotteur leather 1980’s

There is something very Karma Chameleon about this Delvaux bag. It is set in the playful, slightly eccentric 80s period of strong shoulders, sharply tailored clothing, conspicuous accessories often coupled with power dressing, where confidence was expressed through the clothes one wore. The intentional asymmetry of the bag, the cognac brown colour, the oversized goldened d-buckle intentionally placed off-centre takes what is a respectable leather handbag and gives it a twist that makes us smile. 

This is the period in which Belgium was developing its own fashion identity - driven forward by the relentness challenge of the conventional of the Antwerp six - and through its design it seems that Delvaux understood something of that spirit, taking a relatively simple and practical crossbody and creating anything but the ordinary.

Particularly enjoyable and timeless today, is the contrast between the softness and warmth of the cognac leather and the almost architectural character of its hardware. The bag does not need exaggerated proportions or elaborate decoration to establish its personality. One carefully considered detail seems sufficient which still couples perfectly today in the decade of the oversized jackets, the simple white shirt and jeans. Almost forty years later, the shoulders paddings may have softened and fashions shifted, but the confidence and this particular Delvaux has certainly not disappeared.

Some chameleons change their colours to fit in. This one, we suspect, never felt the need. And we suspect neither ever will the person carrying it.