“Delvaux’s modern and elegant sensibility transcends the era in which it was created, and becomes something that can only be described as a timeless classic.”
Schwennicke took over the hundred-year-old company from the last of the family line, Edmond Delvaux. Schwennicke created the first seasonal collections in the ’30s, in the haute couture tradition that continues today. He also began keeping a “Livre d’Or” or “Gold Book” of designs for Delvaux, recording a detailed description of each bag and its designer since 1938. As international travel became more popular during the 1950s, Delvaux reached an increasingly international clientele, and hired Sacha Guitry to act as the brand’s first international ambassador. Then, for the 1958 Brussels World’s Fair, Delvaux created a new handbag called the “Brillant,” (which, along with the “Tempête” (1967), “Le Pin” (1972), and the “Givry” (1977) form the Heritage family and was brought to Barneys New York last year). Designed by Paule Goethals, a former student of Henry Van de Velde, the bag closed using a strap with a buckle in the shape of a “D,” and the logo for the company was born. It was Schwennicke’s widow, Solange, who expanded Delvaux even further when she took over the company after her husband’s death, in 1970. Under her leadership, the brand flourished. She strengthened the creativity and craft of the 118 QUEST