BRILLANT WITH BRIO

To celebrate its 60th anniversary, the Brillant, launched in 1958, adds yet another role to its repertoire—the Diva, sheathed in red or black, for high-intensity glamour.

Delvaux: as authentically Belgian as Belgium itself. In 1829, a year before the country declared itself an independent and neutral nation, the malletier Charles Delvaux established an exceptional family business in Brussels, participating in an era of prodigious economic, industrial and artistic growth. A pioneer in luxury leather goods and a visionary at heart, both pragmatic and refined, Charles Delvaux captured the spirit of the times when it came to feminine elegance. Travel, modernity, a certain sense of freedom: la Maison foresaw, and contributed to, a new Belgian society that was exacting, enlightened, and proud of its status as an industrial power—ranked the fourth leading economic power in the world by 1901. Seven years later, in 1908, Charles Delvaux’s heirs had the foresight to register the first trademarks for handbags.

Another mark of excellence—royal, in this case: as early as 1883 Marie-Henriette, wife of King Leopold II, awarded Delvaux the title of Official Supplier to the Belgian Royal Court. At the time, the award was bestowed every five years and was the highest recognition of the tremendous quality of la Maison’s creations. Thus, from the inventor of the handbag, with three thousand models to its name today, several of which are now legendary designs, Delvaux would also become the inventor of Belgian luxury.

Luxury that knows when not to take itself too seriously—with a wink and a nod to symbolism and surrealism, two intrinsically Belgian artistic movements. Luxury that is both uncompromising and ironic. Luxury that is radical, proportional, architectural and endlessly innovative. In 1993, already a century old, la Maison was acquired by Franz Schwennicke who brought a dimension of exclusivity to Delvaux, and who introduced the concept of seasonal collections for handbag designs. Luxury then as now. Myriad milestones that have translated into bestsellers. The most illustrious of all remains the Brillant.

Created for the 1958 World’s Fair, the Brillant, a veritable sculpture in leather, was imagined, conceptualised and designed by Paule Goethals, renowned architect and former student of the great Henry Van de Velde, founder of La Cambre National School of Visual Arts and Design. The Brillant would become, along with the Atomium, an emblem of a modern and futuristic Belgium— imaginative and ahead of its time. Composed of 64 distinct leather pieces, with metallic hardware, the Brillant is the expression and the linchpin of all the ingenuity and refined savoir-faire of Delvaux’s master artisans.

An icon of pure perfection with the bearing of a queen and a striking signature buckle; soigné, with a flawless silhouette; a distinctive and streamlined aesthetic; inspired by the world’s best-dressed women and earning the best references, one after the other, from royalty to First Ladies.

The design of the Brillant’s interior—complex and sophisticated—is a product of the same uncompromising standards. Over time, every tenth anniversary came to be marked by a special edition. For its 50th in 2008, the Brillant did a spinoff on its classic size, expanding its original dimensions for a maxi-version, the Brillant Black Edition. The latter was also parlayed into “Les Humeurs”, the expression of the Brillant’s different moods, nine creations toying with convention and crafted with an abundance of over the- top technical prowess. A museum-quality collection—instant collector’s items.

Maximized, then miniaturized. Witty and Belgian—of course; surrealist—naturally: Little bitty Brillants, the Delvaux Miniatures are the manifestation of all the savoir-faire and the humorous, passionate excellence of the la Maison’s ateliers. Limited editions that are quirky, innovative and irresistible. A little side note: Delvaux’s Brillant appeared in an illustrated book (itself now a collector’s item) showcasing 70 Belgian icons, « objets de qualité » such as Courtrai linens, Lotus speculoos biscuits, the comic book characters Marsupilami, Union Match matches and Gaufres Suzy waffles.

Season after season, supple or rigid, the Brillant intensifies its halo with new versions, animated with new materials including iconoclastic PVC, sheathed in new exotic leathers—alligator, ostrich, among others–and adorned with new finishings. For its 60th, the most emblematic of Delvaux’s bags transforms itself into the Diva, finding its celebratory inspiration in the heart of the Golden Age of Hollywood.

Produced in la Maison’s ateliers in Brussels and conceptualised like a “boudoir à main”—a plush little pocketbook boudoir—the “Diva” Brillant is built and customised to the hilt like a Mercury, mythical vehicle of the 1950s Silver Screen. Double-bodied and enhanced with two clasp enclosures and metallic framework for extra glamour and oomph, with its ingenious interior and « celestical mechanics », the Diva is already a new classic. And, for an extra- special anniversary touch, Diva is adorned with a brand-new leather—ultra-shiny, in Norwegian bull—created especially for the occasion In two colours, red and black, the “musts” of glamour. Also featured is the black alligator in a very limited edition, embellished with a hand-embossed crown insignia. Fashioned and assembled borrowing the master craftsmanship of the finest bootmakers, the Brillant “Diva” is not a bag. The Brillant “Diva” is a masterpiece.

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