You won’t find any corsetry, slicing elastics or complicated sizing at Atelier Amour. Instead, you’ll find opened panties, graphic lacing and magnetic fastenings, from XS to XXL. “When it comes to sexiness, you need to be able to trust your lingerie” says brand founder Rachel Bouchon, who launched in 2015 with one goal : to offer an elegant and refined lingerie that embraces eroticism, without too much fuss or complicated details.

With around 50 retailers in Europe, Asia and the USA, she is quietly building a name in a market that relies on the balance between pragmaticism and an out-there sexiness, from lace matching sets to harnesses and boleros, bodysuits and nighties. An offer that appeals to both traditional stores, trendy multi-blands and eshops such as Glamuse, a long-time loyal client.

“The salon is my big yearly event, says Rachel Bouchon. I was lucky enough to be able to get a young designer booth when I began, which was quite intimate and suited the brand perfectly. It is here that I met my first clients, that I learnt how to negotiate on my own terms and to put some barriers when needed. To dictate your terms as a newcomer is difficult, but it is capital to gain credibility as a young brand. It allowed me to being taken seriously and to build some strong professional bonds with people who I am delighted to see here every year.”

This season, for the first time, she is trying a light color to express eroticism on different types of carnation. “Some clients can be a bit shy to move beyond black or more traditional colors of seduction, but once they see the product, they are convinced. This is why it is so crucial to meet in person here. Those who are a reluctant to order from a distance are immediately convinced.”

Challenge completed for this new edition, that also allows her to source some new fabrics and accessories at Interfilière Paris for her upcoming collections. “I am not into technical things. I’d rather pay attention to recycled yarns, sustainable fabrics and suppliers who work with excess stock or clean dyes.” Like her clients, she needs to touch the materials in order to picture her future pieces, especially when it comes to hybrid styles that demand more fabrics and can be mixed with clothes.

“The over-under trend is not new ! I remember wearing my nighties over jeans when I was younger. It is a cyclical trend that comes back, now that the comfy days of lockdown are over and that we’re in demand of sexy things that we can show and play with.” A tulle bolero worn over denim, or a transparent skirt over opaque underwear. Rachel Bouchon navigates through trends brilliantly season after season, proving that audacity and confidence can be the best of forces to drive a business.