There’s a lot of things I did not know about Delvaux. For one, it is the oldest fine leather luxury brand in the world! Older than Louis Vuitton, older than Hermes. Charles Delvaux started making handmade trunks in 1829; about 100 years later the first leather goods were introduced. Now the craftsmen at Delvaux produce about 15,000 bag per year, locally at the atelier in Brussels, from the highest quality hides. For many Belgians Delvaux is a piece of heritage and a symbol of durability, simplicity and elegance. You have a Delvaux for life and you pass it on to your children. The bags are timeless and classic, without flashy logos or trendy nicknacks. And being in my home country this past week, I could not pass up the opportunity to put this little piece of Belgian pride in the spotlight.

The bag I chose is called “Brillant MM in Jumping Emerald”. The design made its first appearance in the loop of the 1958 Brussels World Fair and is since then the icon of the company, released in different colors, leathers and sizes. I paired it with an M Missoni dress from the pre-fall collection (available in June) I spotted at Fashion Club 70 in Antwerp. I matched my swiss dot head scarf with Casadei mustard heels and white socks and topped off the outfit with a vintage, thick, wool, hunters green shirt with embroidered flowers. I think all these greens and browns go really well together and the white touches give that little bit of freshness. The bag is not cheap but like I said, it’s for life. And you’ll notice that the old designs have endlessly “inspired” some of our most favorite contemporary brands. Look at the fun, limited edition Brillant I took home!

Photos were taken by another one of Belgium’s prized talents, Lalo Gonzalez, on a roof overlooking Brussels, the capital of Belgium.