Once described as “the Hermès of Belgium”, Delvaux is in fact the oldest luxury leather brand in the world, preceding Hermès and Louis Vuitton by nearly a decade. Formed in 1829, Delvaux initially started out supplying steamer trunks and luggage for
Once described as “the Hermès of Belgium”, Delvaux is in fact the oldest luxury leather brand in the world, preceding Hermès and Louis Vuitton by nearly a decade. Formed in 1829, Delvaux initially started out supplying steamer trunks and luggage for the Royal family and jeunesse doré of Brussels before being bought over by Franz Schwennicke in 1933, who developed a seasonal line of handbags and accessories made to couture standards. At just fifteen-years-old, craftsman Pascal Timmermans started at Delvaux, drawn by the storied legacy of the brand. “I didn’t come from a family of craftsmen,” says the affable Timmermans, “but I was driven by the desire to make beautiful things.” What attracted Timmermans most to working at Delvaux was “mainly the fact that I wanted to work with leather. I love the smell and the touch of it. To me, there is no better place to work than here.”
Nearly thirty years on, Timmermans is now a master of his trade working in an atelier of 45 craftsmen. “We are a small family company so there is a family atmosphere too,” confirms Timmermans. “Most of us have been working here for at least fifteen years.” A visit to the workshop proves this — a fine scent of cured leather permeates the air and the gentle hum of machines is broken only by friendly murmurings from the white-coated craftsmen. It is also an opportunity to see artisanship up close — the signature structured Brilliant bag for example is made of sixty-four different pieces of leather and 24-carat gold-plated brass hardware and is still manufactured in the same way as when it was debuted at the 1958 Brussels World Fair. Delvaux also offer a tailor made service for which no request is too extravagant: “It involves a lot of research. We’ve done everything from making a motorcycle helmet to a suite in the Amigo hotel in Brussels where we covered the bedhead and pillows with Toile et Cuir.”
At 181 years old and after a retrospective exhibition at Antwerp’s MoMu in 2009, Delvaux could be forgiven for resting on its laurels, but instead has pushed ever onwards with cool collaborations with the punkish supermodel, Hannelore Knuts and designer Bruno Pieters. The appointment of Veronique Branquinho as creative director in 2009 has revived interests in the quietly iconic brand, with Branquinho reworking existing classics and adding her touch of understated chic to the label. Timmermans acknowledges the evolution of Delvaux but states the house remains true to its ethos of making beautifully hand-crafted family heirlooms to be passed down through generations. “I do not think this is a dying art. Machines will never replace the craftsmen’s experience and touch.” As for the future, Timmermans is enthusiastic. “I hope the House continues to run well. I cannot wait to see it celebrate its 200th and 250th anniversary.”
