Delvaux Brand
Delvaux Introduces Its New Family Of Bags: The Léonce
Luxferity, 08.03.2024
A new family of bags inspired by a true story of Belgian tradition, family heirlooms and the maison’s exacting savoir-faire passed from one generation of Delvaux women to another.
It began with a sentimental gift. An heirloom bequeathed from grandmother to granddaughter, two generations of Belgian women raised in the tradition of building a cherished collection of Delvaux and keeping it to pass on. Léonce was an artist, a painter known for getting carried away in her work, losing track of time. When she was rushing out the door to a soiree, she stashed her paintbrushes in her favourite Delvaux bag, an envelope clutch, slim and elegant. Her granddaughter Julie discovered the colorful paint splotches on the lining when Léonce’s bag was passed down to her. Her grandmother had reserved this particular style for Julie, who shared an affinity for craftsmanship and Belgian savoir-faire. So much so, she went to work for Delvaux.
It is with great pleasure and pride that Delvaux introduces the Léonce family, inspired by its namesake’s vintage silhouette. Its distinctive, slender rectangular shape is unlike anything else in the Delvaux archives. Redolent with personal history and emotion, the style immediately captured the curiosity and imagination of Delvaux’s creative team.
Renewing the contemporary grace and relevance of Léonce’s original heirloom was the result of the painstaking craftsmanship of Delvaux’s artisans. The new silhouette is defined by an envelope pochette accented with its own signature D-shaped brass buckle, evocative of a modernist, Seventies bourgeois attitude. The shape anchors the greater collection, including a shoulder bag in two sizes and a crossbody style. Crafted in Opera Calf, the Léonce applies one of the rarest and most precious leathers in Delvaux’s repertoire to an inherently relaxed silhouette, elevating it to the extraordinary. A design of exquisite contrasts, it stands as an example of the delicate equilibrium between Delvaux’s uncompromising heritage and innovation.
The Léonce is an expression of the Maison’s unorthodox approach to modern luxury, one that values permanence and deliberation over the gratuitous. An eloquent ode to legacy and style with purpose, we think it would have made Léonce proud.
Founded in Brussels in 1829, Delvaux is the oldest fine leather goods house in the world, crafting and designing without interruption in its workshops since then.
Delvaux is the inventor of the modern handbag, having filed the first-ever leather handbag patent in the world, in 1908.
Among its extremely rich archive of over 3,000 designs, Delvaux’s emblematic creations include The Brillant (1958), The Tempête (1967), The Pin (1972) and The Lingot (2022).
Steeped in emblematic addresses around the world, from Saint-Honoré to New Bond Street to Fifth Avenue, all 60 Delvaux boutiques are different.
Official purveyor to the Royal Court of Belgium since 1883, Delvaux has always shared and celebrated Belgian cultural references and values.
