Sandrine Rocher Derichebourg, the visionary behind Parisian bridal brand Lilar Paris, has a three-word job description, and she keeps it short: "I draw, I create, I photograph." For Amour Fou, the brand's 2027 couture collection, all three verbs were in play. The founder designed the gowns, oversaw their construction in the atelier at her rue Saint-Honoré showroom, and then turned the camera on to capture the finished pieces herself. It's a 15-look collection that embodies the essence of French couture: time, craftsmanship, precision, and emotion, all inspired by Old Hollywood glamour.
The Designer Behind the Lens
Lilar, which stands for Love Is Like A Rose, was founded in 2017 and is proudly situated in the heart of Paris. Inside 205 rue Saint-Honoré, you'll discover both the brand's atelier and showroom, where Sandrine Rocher Derichebourg brings to life every one of her designs. Each collection is made here, and Amour Fou is no different. From the covered buttons to the final stitch, every gown carries the "Fabriqué à Paris" (Made in Paris) label, and each is cut and sewn in the same building where brides come for fittings.
The fabrics stay just as close to home. Rocher Derichebourg works in precious Calais lace, cotton tulle and silk in all its forms, such as crepe, satin, organza, gauze and mikado, and she takes pleasure in sourcing secret and recycled materials for her brides. In the latest collection, those choices carry the collection's central idea. "My Amour Fou collection nevertheless has this little paradox of being vintage in style, yet contemporary in the sense that I reinterpret the past through my love of minimalism." Her gowns look back at Hollywood but edit as they go, keeping the drama while staying true to the brand.
"My Amour Fou collection nevertheless has this little paradox of being vintage in style, yet contemporary in the sense that I reinterpret the past through my love of minimalism."
A Cast of Fifteen
The story reads as a film. Fifteen looks, photographed in both black and white and a haze of dreamy colors, unfold against gilded backdrops as the model moves through Parisian salons, down a grand staircase and out onto a stone balcony with the Eiffel Tower in the distance. Each gown has a name, and together the names read like a cast list: Rêverie, French Riviera, Hollywood, Nuit Blanche and Wanderlust, just to name a few.
"I wanted to create ball gowns for weddings, the kind women wore in the 1950s and 1960s. I was thinking of Hollywood actresses such as Grace Kelly and Rita Hayworth. To do so, we used fabrics such as crepe and silk chiffon, satin, as well as jacquards for a vintage feel. Often with pleated or gathered finishes, techniques that feature prominently in my designs," shares Sandrine.
The Materials in the Spotlight
Sandrine Rocher Derichebourg has spent years building a brand with a reputation for clean lines and pure silk. This season, however, she chose a bigger canvas. In Amour Fou, taffeta gets its own spotlight through two silhouettes. "There are also taffeta gowns, because I love its expressiveness. The Rêverie and Sentimentale gowns perfectly embody what I love to see in a wedding dress: self-assurance." When you look at Rêverie in the photograph where the bride lies across a marble staircase, arms overhead, and a voluminous taffeta gown pooling down the steps, self-assurance is the right word.
Straight from the Cinema
The references in Amour Fou are specific. En Vogue and Hollywood are tributes to the actresses of golden-age cinema, the latter a halter column with a row of buttons down the bodice. The Bottom of My Heart, Wanderlust, and Aurora also come from her love of film costume, and you can see it in the tiered tulle, the sheer lace skirt and the balloon sleeves of organza.
Amour Fou is all about the impeccable craftsmanship behind the details, and the subtle adornments are what give this collection its charm. With long white gloves lined with covered buttons, neck scarves, an oversized bow, and even a basket dress, Amour Fou captures Old Hollywood Drama in its most romantic way.
A Case for Lace
One gown stands out in particular: Nuit Blanche. "The Nuit Blanche gown, entirely made of embroidered Calais lace, is unapologetically vintage, yet sensual. I love lace because it has such a powerful narrative quality," says Sandrine. From the front, a deep V-neck opens onto a soft mermaid that leaves billowing lace at the hem. Turn around, and the story continues: ut low at the back with a bell cuff at the wrist, the gown tells its story from behind.
"Yes, this year, I’m embracing it: I imagined my brides as movie stars. Seductive, sensual, and sentimental women. In love, madly in love!"
A Touch of Tailoring
Amour fou isn't just an ode to the ballgown; tailoring here gets equal attention. Two looks in Amour Fou trade drama for a jacket and give it the same attention. Fragrance is a white suit photographed in black and white before a tall mirrored door, its jacket defined by its draped pleats cocooning around the hips. Héroïne is a short tailored dress with a jacket's lapels, worn with strappy heels against gilded doors.
"The tailored gowns also embody this tension between classic and sophisticated. The jacket from the Fragrance suit required a certain amount of technical experimentation to achieve the draping across the hips. The Héröine tailored dress, meanwhile, is masculine yet ultra-feminine," says the designer. Both read as perfect for a civil wedding with a touch of glamour.
Two Gowns, One Verdict
Then there are the two silhouettes Sandrine singles out: one the emblem of the house and the other her favorite. "The French Riviera gown is, to me, emblematic of the Lilar Paris style: not quite classic, not quite modern, but always sensual." With its halter-style neckline, detailed low waist, and open back, French Riviera is a piece that exudes absolute glamour. Completely made of silk chiffon, the long skirt is guaranteed to move and sway behind the bride as she moves.
Though a hero piece in the collection, there's another one on Sandrine's mind. "But I think my favorite gown is Miracle, with its heavy, impeccable drape, its rounded shape over the hips, its rounded bustier and its little buttons down the back, which remind me of a perfume bottle. Worn with its scarf, I find it both sublime and subtle."
Madly in Love
Follow the fifteen looks from the first frame to the last, and the wardrobe keeps changing while the plot holds. Ball gowns, mermaid, lace, and tailoring all serve the same purpose, which Sandrine puts in her own words. "This cinematic glamour aesthetic allows me to create silhouettes that flatter the female body, because I love seeing my brides assert themselves and celebrate their figures." The casting call is just as clear. "Yes, this year, I'm embracing it: I imagined my brides as movie stars. Seductive, sensual, and sentimental women. In love, madly in love!" Amour fou is French for mad love, and she has written it into every look.
