Let's talk Delvaux!

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#3,331
BagLady7411 said:
Providing an update about my shopping experience at Delvaux in Paris (St. Honoré store). I knew it would be good but honestly it exceeded my expectations; I'm still a little over the moon. :love:

I had reached out a few weeks ago for an appointment and also expressed interest in a couple of bags that seemed to be out of stock (including L'Humour). I heard back pretty immediately from the boutique in Brussels, and then after a quick email exchange they sent my info to Paris and an SA contacted me the next day. As I posted last week, he was kind enough to share a few photos and details of bags I had asked about. Everything was ready when I came, and he even pulled out a couple of bags like the Brilliant Arsenal for me to look at since I'd mentioned how much I love Delvaux's artistry and the subtle/clever touches they apply in their designs. He seemed equally geeked out about the craftsmanship and detail that goes into everything, so it was just so pleasant to talk about it and ogle and appreciate.

It was also so nice to see and touch and try things on that I've been admiring online for so long! As expected, there were things I really loved online that I was less crazy about in person, and vice versa (I tried on a Tempete that I would have never picked off the shelf and it looked so good with my outfit (if I do say so myself!) even a couple of the other SAs said something :lol:). But of course I fell fast and hard for L'Humour. And after chatting more with my SA as well as the sales manager (she had been chatting with us throughout and I had no idea that was who she was!) I realized the classic black really is better for my lifestyle and intended use than the embroidered one coming out for Spring. Another happy surprise: The MM is actually a really great size for me! Not too big or heavy as feared (although I will certainly never load it up with things).

Halfway through the appointment, a bunch of women dressed to the nines came in! Suddenly there was champagne, and a photographer, and lots of buzz, and I was completely gobsmacked wondering if there was a celebrity in the midst?! As it turned out, it was an event and luncheon they were hosting for VIP clients, but man! It was sort of like the Real Housewives of Paris. Hilariously, many were wearing Hermes bags vs Delvaux, which I assume was not part of the assignment, but I enjoyed the people/fashion watching regardless! Felt very Parisian and glamorous.

Finally, I was ready to check out and they handed me champagne (I had been drinking sparkling water) and wrapped up my goodies. I also purchased one of the Vagabond card holders in Antwerp Blue, with a strap. They insisted I try the Belgian chocolate they gave me (delicious!) and gave me a cute little candle carousel as a Christmas gift. They arranged a delivery to my hotel so I didn't have to haul it around. I was so sad to unpack their beautiful bag so I could fit everything in my suitcase!

I think what I enjoyed most about the experience was how welcoming and unpretentious it was. I have never shopped on St. Honoré before and certainly don't meet the profile of the stereotypical luxury shopper. I had a great rapport with everyone anyway. Everyone I spoke with was so passionate and proud of the brand and seemed excited that I appreciated it, too. Really, it was a delight! Looking forward to owning more pieces from them over time.

Last thing, for those interested, their VAT refund was 12%. The Pablo machine at CDG did not validate any of my detaxe ppwk and I was concerned because I was on an early a.m. flight and the Customs office was closed. Just as I was debating whether to linger any longer or accept defeat and head to security, I saw the Customs officer quietly appear in the window and he got me squared away without making me take everything out of my carryons. Whew! Was charged 3% duty once I got back in the US. Still came out ahead buying in Paris.

Some photos below. :smile:

I loved that they wrapped it in Magritte blue sky paper.
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Pretty little Christmas box with the candle carousel
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Today's sky is worthy of Magritte! I am not 100% convinced the handle tie is the best color match but it's so perfectly on theme I love it anyway.
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Thank you for sharing your lovely experience with us and congratulations on your beautiful bag!
 
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#3,332
Welp, this is a bummer. I haven't yet used my bag but took it out tonight since I'm planning to use it this weekend. And I noticed that the leather is already pulling away from the script. 😞 It's not supposed to do this, is it? (LOL just checking)

Is this a common issue with these bags? @Saaski - just curious, have you had any issues with yours? I went back and looked at the pics I took (and posted here) last week, when it was fresh out of the box, and it was already peeling away in those, too, it looks like...I just hadn't noticed. When I bought the bag, they went in the back to get a new one vs. the display...maybe they accidentally put the wrong one in the box? I had noticed when I took it out at home that the leather by the buckle was creased a bit but assumed that was simply because they opened it to put the strap and such in there. Just grasping at possibilities.

I am texting my SA the photos, so hopefully I'll hear tomorrow, assuming he's working on Saturday. The only thing that will really make it right to me is an outright replacement vs. repair. And I have confidence they'll make it right, but dang! If this is a known issue with this bag, maybe I should exchange for something else (which will really bum me out bc I love this bag!). I've been so sold on the quality of Delvaux's craftsmanship so this is...a bummer (how many times can I say that?) for sure.

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#3,333
BagLady7411 said:
Welp, this is a bummer. I haven't yet used my bag but took it out tonight since I'm planning to use it this weekend. And I noticed that the leather is already pulling away from the script. 😞 It's not supposed to do this, is it? (LOL just checking)

Is this a common issue with these bags? @Saaski - just curious, have you had any issues with yours? I went back and looked at the pics I took (and posted here) last week, when it was fresh out of the box, and it was already peeling away in those, too, it looks like...I just hadn't noticed. When I bought the bag, they went in the back to get a new one vs. the display...maybe they accidentally put the wrong one in the box? I had noticed when I took it out at home that the leather by the buckle was creased a bit but assumed that was simply because they opened it to put the strap and such in there. Just grasping at possibilities.

I am texting my SA the photos, so hopefully I'll hear tomorrow, assuming he's working on Saturday. The only thing that will really make it right to me is an outright replacement vs. repair. And I have confidence they'll make it right, but dang! If this is a known issue with this bag, maybe I should exchange for something else (which will really bum me out bc I love this bag!). I've been so sold on the quality of Delvaux's craftsmanship so this is...a bummer (how many times can I say that?) for sure.

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It’s hard to find close up photos on the web but I took a look at some listings of even used bags and they don’t seem to be showing that issue.

Brillant L’Humour GM – Atelier Mémé

ateliermeme.com ateliermeme.com
 
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#3,334
BagLady7411 said:
Welp, this is a bummer. I haven't yet used my bag but took it out tonight since I'm planning to use it this weekend. And I noticed that the leather is already pulling away from the script. 😞 It's not supposed to do this, is it? (LOL just checking)

Is this a common issue with these bags? @Saaski - just curious, have you had any issues with yours? I went back and looked at the pics I took (and posted here) last week, when it was fresh out of the box, and it was already peeling away in those, too, it looks like...I just hadn't noticed. When I bought the bag, they went in the back to get a new one vs. the display...maybe they accidentally put the wrong one in the box? I had noticed when I took it out at home that the leather by the buckle was creased a bit but assumed that was simply because they opened it to put the strap and such in there. Just grasping at possibilities.

I am texting my SA the photos, so hopefully I'll hear tomorrow, assuming he's working on Saturday. The only thing that will really make it right to me is an outright replacement vs. repair. And I have confidence they'll make it right, but dang! If this is a known issue with this bag, maybe I should exchange for something else (which will really bum me out bc I love this bag!). I've been so sold on the quality of Delvaux's craftsmanship so this is...a bummer (how many times can I say that?) for sure.

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That should definitely not be happening. My bag is several years old and the white lettering is pristine (I just went to check it over to make sure). I would call that bag damaged defective myself and expect a replacement bag. I hope your SA gets back to you quickly!
 
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#3,336
BagLady7411 said:
@Saaski thanks so much for the reply and reassurance! @Christofle That was a great idea, looking at pics online to compare. I will let y'all know what I hear back from them! Hopefully they can turn it around easily.
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I don’t think it’s damaged so much as it is a manufacturing defect that somehow slipped through quality control. (Hope this isn’t a sign of QC slipping under Richemont)

But I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt if they help you out quickly.
 
#3,337
Christofle said:
I don’t think it’s damaged so much as it is a manufacturing defect that somehow slipped through quality control. (Hope this isn’t a sign of QC slipping under Richemont)

But I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt if they help you out quickly.
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I had the same little sinking wonder about quality control/standards slipping under Richemont. 😕 Hopefully a fluke!!
 
#3,339
goodatlife said:
Did you hear back from Delvaux?

As a side note- did you purchase the cloud ribbon handle wrap in Paris? It’s soo pretty and I would like to purchase one, but unavailable in Asia it seems.
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Not yet... 😞 it's possible my SA was not working on Saturday, so I will see what I hear Monday. Worst case, if I don't hear from him (which seems unlikely, unless he's on vacation) I'll see if I can reach out to the sales manager there (or maybe even the NYC store to see if they can help facilitate).

And yes, I purchased the ribbon in Paris! It really is beautiful. Maybe they could source it for you?
 
#3,340
goodatlife said:
Did you hear back from Delvaux?

As a side note- did you purchase the cloud ribbon handle wrap in Paris? It’s soo pretty and I would like to purchase one, but unavailable in Asia it seems.
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I’m surprised because it’s supposed to be an NOS item (never out of stock). It’s a permanent Magritte item from their collection that has been running for many years!
 
#3,341
Quick update, albeit not much of one. I heard back yesterday from my SA who is still on vacation, it sounds. He said this was normal for the bag because the needlework "can't reach the edge of the leather." He noted the same thing was happening on his bag and it was a matter of being careful with it.

I'm honestly surprised to hear this since (as I posted here) we weighed pros and cons of this bag vs. the embroidered one and I picked this specifically bc I was told it was more suited for day to day use. I texted him some follow up questions and haven't heard back (presumably because he's on vacation and not checking messages regularly). I hate to go over anyone's head but I dont want this going too far down the road without resolution. I reached out to the NYC store to see if they could help and the person I spoke with sent a message to their operations manager.

It would make me feel better to hear from the atelier itself that this is normal, although if they do come back with that message I'm not sure it makes me feel better to know I just dropped a large amount of money on a bag that looks like it was poorly crafted and will only get worse. As much as I love this bag I would've never purchased it knowing this (or maybe I would've gone pre-loved instead -easier to justify). I'm so disappointed and, quite honestly, can't really believe this is happening.

Anyway, will keep you all posted. Happy Thanksgiving to our US folks - certainly a good reminder to keep all things in perspective.
 
#3,342
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On the one I linked back earlier it appears that they stitched the leather a bit higher up and closer to the M. (So it is isn’t sticking out as much)

Might be worth including photos of other bags that don’t have the issue in your email /text to Delvaux / your SA or SM.

To be fair it’s easy to miss because on the first photo you sent of your reveal I didn’t notice anything off and it just looked like a beautiful bag. (So it is minor which might make you need to defend your case even more)
 
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#3,343
Oh this is super helpful, @Christofle , thank you! Having that visual to compare actually helps and you're exactly right, the stitching goes higher. So either in their bag redesign they lowered the stitching altogether (meaning all new bags really do have this issue) or this particular craftsperson just didn't go as high as needed. Very curious what I'm going to hear back. I'll see what other screenshots I can collect from other pre-loved bags online to compare.

Same as you, all I could see was "BEAUTIFUL BAG!" when I took it out after my trip. It wasn't until I got ready to use it and had it sitting out that I even noticed. And of course, when I purchased it they got a new one out of the back for me so I never even looked at it until I got home. Lessons learned the hard way I suppose. Thanks again for this snapshot - super helpful!
 
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#3,344
BagLady7411 said:
Oh this is super helpful, @Christofle , thank you! Having that visual to compare actually helps and you're exactly right, the stitching goes higher. So either in their bag redesign they lowered the stitching altogether (meaning all new bags really do have this issue) or this particular craftsperson just didn't go as high as needed. Very curious what I'm going to hear back. I'll see what other screenshots I can collect from other pre-loved bags online to compare.

Same as you, all I could see was "BEAUTIFUL BAG!" when I took it out after my trip. It wasn't until I got ready to use it and had it sitting out that I even noticed. And of course, when I purchased it they got a new one out of the back for me so I never even looked at it until I got home. Lessons learned the hard way I suppose. Thanks again for this snapshot - super helpful!
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As someone else said in the Chanel flap in 2024 thread: the more you look for problems the more you will find! (Which is sometimes a cautionary tale)

My MTO Delvaux tempete has one stitch on the front that drives me bonkers but I try my best to ignore it because otherwise it’s a perfect bag.
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#3,345
Christofle said:
As someone else said in the Chanel flap in 2024 thread: the more you look for problems the more you will find! (Which is sometimes a cautionary tale)

My MTO Delvaux tempete has one stitch on the front that drives me bonkers but I try my best to ignore it because otherwise it’s a perfect bag.
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Ha! Now this is very true. I do realize that variation is to be expected in bags that are hand made, and in fact that can be part of its charm! I wish I found my "flaw" more charming. 😂 Outside of the visual aesthetic, I do worry about the deterioration over time with use...whether it continues to pull out further, dirt and grime getting in there, etc.

PS I love the color of your bag!!!!
 
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