From animal imagery to jewel tones to the idea of mutualism, Norse symbolism emanates throughout the new collection. Image credit: Delvaux
Richemont-owned Belgian leather goods house Delvaux is looking to a medieval art genre for a new collection.
Norse symbolism emanates throughout the spring/summer 2024 array, the 11 handbags dancing with jewel tones, animal imagery and themes of heraldry. With a special focus on shared mythologies, Delvaux worked with Belgian creator Kasper Bosmans to bring the vision to life, tapping into the surging art market that many luxury fashion labels are likewise moving to benefit from.
Symbiotic stunts
The spring/summer 2024 collection consists of 11 Delvaux designs, reinterpreted by Mr. Bosmans through his artistic lens.
Viking ships, waves, celestial bodies and flags appear on signature Delvaux products like the Lingot Toy. Stone walls and flames are shown in metallic motifs on the Brilliant Mini.
A range of Delvaux purses feature Norse symbols and imagery
A campaign video reveals these visions amid simple strumming and playful strings, Mr. Bosmans’s Norse imagery and vibrant splashes of color rotating on-screen.
His involvement continues Delvaux’s tradition of entering into dialogue with artists. The creative is known for his vibrant graphics of events, symbols and heroic deeds performed throughout history, all of which can be found in this partnership.
The idea of narrative is a big theme with which the artist and maison are playing.
It is for this cause that Mr. Bosman was tasked with expanding the possibilities of what the atelier’s savoir-faire is capable of, using the artistic touches and quality of Delvaux’s know-how to “tell a story of history.”
In fact, both parties are said to have a “shared obsession with heraldry, integrity and wisdom,” which is brought forth for the variety.
The water-dominated regions of Northern Europe are referenced throughout Delvaux's newest collection. Image credit: Delvaux
Combined with the house’s craftsmanship and silhouettes, the final assortment is a balancing act between thousand-year-old references, contemporary art and Delvaux’s own visual language.
This interaction between the brand and the Belgian figure is described as an act of “mutualism,” a scientific phenomenon observed in nature that other prestige brands have recently looked to (see story).
For example, pines benefit from the presence of squirrels since they spread pinenuts and help them asexually reproduce in this way. In return, the animals gain the perk of having a home to shelter them.
Delvaux and Mr. Bosmans are said to be engaged in a symbiotic relationship themselves, bringing their distinctive points of view to collaborate on singular objects.
Humans have long interacted with the natural world co-beneficially, from responsibly using fire to maintain indigenous wild plants to eating fruit and dispersing their seeds after digestion.
Stone walls, farm animals and starry skies can be found on reimagined Delvaux bags. Image credit: Delvaux
The Norsemen, those who invented the art style that Delvaux features for spring/summer 2024, are among those who practiced mutualism with the planet. Since they lived close to the land, animals, plants, water and weaving shapes are frequent findings in their creative works.
These are referenced for what the house calls the “sensory and philosophical journey” that makes up the collection.
Altogether, the spring/summer collection reflects the water-strewn landscapes of Northern Europe, the company’s appreciation for the arts and the symbolism of those who lived in the region before Delvaux set up shop.
Art meets fashion
The leather goods name is not alone in looking to the art world for fashion inspiration.
Delvaux’s luxury peers have often dipped their toes into popular genres to advertise their apparel collections even just in 2023, from Italian fashion house Ferragamo’s Renaissance-themed effort (see story) to French leather and accessories brand Longchamp highlighting modern surrealism (see story).
To celebrate the collection, Delvaux and Mr. Bosmans hosted an installation in a luxury hotel that showcased the collaborative purses and symbols. Image credit: Delvaux
Meanwhile, maisons like Roman jeweler Bulgari have enlisted slews of contemporary artists who might be familiar to their customers (see story).
As the art market is currently passing pre-pandemic sales, and American transactions alone stand at all-time highs of $30.2 billion in an 8 percent rise year-over-year (see story), it is hardly surprising that other categories like fashion are finding ways to participate in the lucrative sector.
So, Delvaux pushing an artist-driven collection is not a stand-out action in itself. What is especially unique, however, is the genre that it has chosen to roll with.
Norse art is hardly popular in luxury fashion, contemporary creatives’ portfolios or the public eye in general. Though this could be seen as risky, the move has certain perks.
For one, the style is inherently related to a sense of place and land itself, which is something that is proving to be a favorable angle on the part of companies like British fashion label Burberry, whose latest collection received quite the buzz (see story).
Delvaux's play into the surging art market is truly unique due to its historic inclusions and use of symbolic storytelling. Image credit: Delvaux
For another, Gen Z and millennial shoppers especially seem keen on sustainability-related marketing ploys, which are showing up in more places than just fashion (see story).
The Delvaux campaign appears to be quite friendly to the young demographic, even aside from the nature-appreciative undertones, as the playful colors would indicate.
Whatever the strategy behind the creative choices, the spring/summer 2024 collection certainly packs a punch, leaning into elements that few of its competitors have yet to touch.