Vintage Delvaux Opera top handle 1970

The Delvaux Opera is truly a handbag with a name worthy of its silhouette. Created by Paule Goethals in 1970 it carries sufficient drama in the design to make us stop and look twice.

The opera has a wonderful architecture - a structured rectangular body softened by a sculptured flap finishing around a centred bold circular metal fitting as a closure. This closure acts both as a lock and somewhat dramatic accessory at the same time. It is this interplay of geometry, curves and playful closure, which makes this a very interesting bag to admire as a whole piece of art - in fact it nearly has a little art deco feel to it - which is very brussels - very belgian.

On the inside it is practical - separate compartments allow for keeping all essentials and the box calf leather is a diving deep brown of incredible quality - soft to the touch, shiny to the eye and moulded with passepoil to seperate the interior compartments even from the outside.

We also love its name: Opera. - This is a bag that has been designed with sufficient energy and presence to command its own stage and in this sense it is nearly a shame that it was limited to a very small batch within the 1970 collection. Whilst today it serves as a reminder of just how adventurous Delvaux designs could be, it is still in no way a cast aside relic but keeps its presence up to this day.

and for this the opera deserves a little "encore".