Anouchka Delon On Creating Her Own Performance Apparel Brand And How Singin’ In The Rain Inspired Her Acting Career
Anouchka, the founder of the brand Delon, discusses the pressures of motherhood and inheriting her late father’s sweaters.
As a child, Anouchka Delon was fascinated by watching her mother, international model Rosalie van Breemen, dress up in elegant, feminine, glamorous looks. Her late father, the French actor Alain Delon, was a great style icon, pulling off the Riviera’s chic, understated fashion with stylish aplomb, which continues to serve as a mood board for sartorially inclined gentlemen. This eventually led to the formation of his namesake fashion and lifestyle label, which channels an interplay of French elegance and timeless designs.
Having inherited a keen sense of fashion from her parents, Anouchka has dazzled on red carpets as an actress who has made a name for herself in French film, television, and theatre productions. After being part of her father’s business for the past eight years, the natural next step was to found her own brand, Delon, with a vision to create modern performance-wear pieces designed for active, multi-dimensional lives that require both performance and sophistication. “As an actress, I am constantly aware of how clothing moves with the body and how it makes you feel,” she says. “Delon is about creating pieces that feel natural, empowering, and timeless—clothing that supports movement while remaining elegant.”
This year, Delon made its debut with Malaysia as its very first market. Its latest collection, the Elevated Essentials collection introduces sharp silhouettes, rich colours, and advanced fabrics engineered for warmer climates. “For many years, my father had a great relationship with Malaysia, which remains his eponymous brand’s biggest market and partner, which I now own and manage,” Anouchka says. “I actually have extended family who live in Kuala Lumpur, and I know that locals are really sporty, despite the hot weather. It came as an organic move to launch Delon there.”
What was your approach to building Delon from the ground up, and how did your own experience and skills allow you to navigate the process?
When I started out at my father’s brand, I came armed only with the fact that I loved fashion and had limited skills. After I started working with him, I realised that the young audience didn’t know his brand very well. I was glad that I was able to conceptualise Delon as a sister brand before his passing. He was delighted that there would be a new progression of the business.
How do you see Delon evolving over the next few years?
Together with Christian Seguy, the brand principal of Delon, I am working on guiding the brand’s expansion while laying the groundwork for a future presence in France, Switzerland, and other international markets, reinforcing the brand’s European roots and long-term global ambition. People in France and Switzerland are avid fans of golf and tennis, so there is a demand for Delon’s pieces here.
How has becoming a mother reshaped your daily rhythm, and the way you prioritise time for yourself and your work?
Every day starts with getting my son ready for school and, of course, his schedule determines mine. There is a certain pressure when you become a mother. People expect you to be a perfect mother, to work, and to look good. It’s hard not to feel guilty when you cannot manage to fulfil everything at the same time. On the plus side, I began accepting myself more and being more at ease with my body.
What does a perfect day look like for you now as a mother who juggles a business?
It would be waking up without an alarm, for once. I love to just sit and watch the sky, and then have a walk with my corgi, who’s also my best friend.
Are there any fashion pieces you inherited from your father that you still cherish?
I actually always loved his sweaters, because I wasn’t always at ease with my body as a teenager. I would also borrow my mother’s skirts, dresses, and clip-on earrings from the 1980s to dress up for the clubs.
Besides your father, who are your favourite fashion icons?
Audrey Hepburn, because her style is timeless. Also, Victoria Beckham, who is always classy.
What is your favourite movie of all time?
There are two, actually: Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Singin’ in the Rain. I was so in love with Gene Kelly as a kid, and it was the movie that made me want to be an actress.
What is your favourite sport to play?
I love tennis, and I used to do Muay Thai before I had my son. Now, it’s Pilates, which really helps with my back pain.
What is the best advice you received that changed your life?
The celebrated French chef Thierry Marx told me to always be true to myself. You have one life, and it’s your own.
Photography by Christine Ledroit-Perrin
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