In conversation with Jean-Marc Loubier, CEO of Delvaux

From global quotas for bags and spending ratios to VIP treatment, accessibility in luxury is a big topic in the industry at the moment. Can you share your opinion on the subject and how Delvaux is navigating it?

I don’t believe in categorisation or segregation of our clientele based on their spending or making them wait for hours in line outside our stores. For me, I believe there is exclusivity in inclusivity. What does that mean? It means that our goal is to share what we do and the values that go into our creations with as many people as possible. We want everybody to be able to walk into our stores and discover Delvaux with the help of our staff members, who act as ambassadors for our brand. We hope to create a welcoming ambience to facilitate natural, relaxed, and enriching conversations with people to learn about their preferences and expectations and how we can fit into their lifestyles.

From there, it is individual choice whether they would like to make a purchase. Even if they decide against it, we want them to remember our interesting story and the time they spent in the store.

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What is the key to Delvaux’s longevity?

At Delvaux, we bring tradition to the future. Nowadays, creativity is everywhere, but creativity without a specific goal can be difficult. Instead, we apply our creativity to something concrete, our signature bags. At the same time, we are making sure that our practices are constantly evolving and progressing, especially in terms of craftsmanship and manufacturing.

Can you tell us more about how Delvaux's collaborations with artists fits in with this approach?

These days, we see collaboration everywhere in the same way we see luxury bags everywhere. Again, we come back to the same question: what does Delvaux stand for? For instance, Delvaux most recently worked with Belgian artist Kasper Bosmans on our spring/summer 2024 collection. The reason why we chose to work with Kasper is because he has an interesting perspective on heraldry, where a family, city or country was represented by a symbol, like a crest or flag. As a brand steeped in history, we wanted to continue our conversation about identity and how we define ourselves. 

I would like to clarify that our collaboration with Kasper is deeper than the present day notions of the word. It is less about combining two styles but fully uniting two ways of working to create something purposeful and substantial. We started a creative dialogue between Kasper and more than 50 of Delvaux’s artisans; they worked together over a period of one year to create the collection. We also spoke at length about how we wanted to present the collection at Paris Fashion Week to invite the public into this exchange. The exhibition was called Mutualism to embody this ‘1 + 1 = 3’ approach. 

See also: 5 furniture pieces designed by celebrities in collaboration with home brands

What direction you would like to take with Delvaux in the next decade? 

Delvaux has established itself as a leading luxury leather goods brand, in a sense that everything we do is meaningful, impactful and referential. We want to continue an active legacy, which means that we are preparing our company to enter the third century with a clear vision and mission. That includes nurturing our core strengths—a mastery of leather—and expanding that to manoeuvre other materials, such as metal parts, felt and wicker, to become a leading luxury accessory brand. 

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