Agent Provocateur (lingerie)

Agent Provocateur

Industry	Apparel
Founded	1994
Headquarters	London, England
Key people	Joseph Corré Serena Rees
Products	Bras, panties, sleepwear, hosiery, swimwear, accessories, outerwear, fragrances
Parent	3i
Website	www.agentprovocateur.com

Agent Provocateur is a British lingerie retailer founded in 1994 by Joseph Corré and Serena Rees. The first shop was opened on London's Broadwick Street in the Soho district in 1994. Since then, the company has opened 30 stores in 13 countries across the globe. In 2007, Agent Provocateur was purchased by the private equity house 3i for £60m. ^[1]

History

Agent Provocateur in Broadwick Street, Soho, London

Agent Provocateur was founded by Joseph Corré, the son of Vivienne Westwood, and his now ex-wife Serena Rees in 1994. The first store was opened in Soho with aims of selling high-end lingerie.^[2]

Rees--tired of seeing women dress in drab under garments--came up with an idea to start a lingerie store that was filled with colorful and fashion-forward lingerie. The couple initially set out to sell the best lingerie from around the world. After not finding enough of what they liked, the couple decided to create their own brand.^[3]

Rees, along with Corre, developed a strict confidentiality agreement to protect their clientele. The brand since its inception has been widely received by the celebrity community as a result use celebrity models for most of their advertising campaigns. ^[4]

After Corre's and Ree's divorce in 2007, Agent Provocateur was purchased by the private equity house 3i for £60m.^[5] The company is currently run by Garry Hogarth.

Following the takeover, the company expanded into 13 countries with over 30 stores. By March 2008, Agent Provocateur's profits dropped 18pc to £2.2m because of the cost of expansion.^[6]

Advertisements

The company is known for producing controversial adverts, such as those released in December 2001 featuring pop singer Kylie Minogue. The advert, which was shown only in cinemas, pushed the envelope on sexual innuendo in advertising media and demonstrated the power of internet based viral marketing.^[7]

Lingerie by Agent Provocateur has become popular with celebrities such as Paris Hilton, Lily Allen, and Carmen Electra^[8], and the company often features high profile celebrities to promote its fashion campaigns. In previous years these have included Kylie Minogue (2001) and for the second time Kate Moss in 2008 (she previously appeared in ads in 2006).^{[citation needed]} "Agent Provocateur", the line's first perfume, was launched in 2000.^{[citation needed]} Hollywood actress Maggie Gyllenhaal took over for supermodel Kate Moss as the new face for the line in 2007.^[9]

In popular culture

Agent Provocateur is mentioned in the book Adrian Mole: The Cappuccino Years when Pandora Braithwaite, the Labour MP for Ashby-de-la-Zouch and also the love of Adrian's life confesses during an interview that she buys her underwear from Agent Provocateur in Soho. It is also frequently named in Bridget Jones' Diary and its sequel as a place where Bridget and her friends Shazzer and Jude buy lingerie, including the infamous lilac bra trimmed in fur which snags on Bridget's foot on her trip up the aisle during Jude's wedding. Also recently featured in the movie 'Burlesque' starring Christina Aguilera. The scene where it's mentioned is one of her performances at the Burlesque house, called 'I'm a good girl.'

Fragrances

In 2000 they released their first signature fragrance called Agent Provocateur^[10]. Since then the range has expanded to include more fragrances plus a selection of beauty products and cosmetics.

External links

• Official website

References

• Townsend, Sue (2000). Adrian Mole: The Cappuccino Years. Penguin Books Ltd. ISBN 0-14-027940-7. 

1. ^ Attwood, Karen (2007-11-16). "Agent Provocateur sold to private equity firm 3i for £60m". The Independent (London). http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/agent-provocateur-sold-to-private-equity-firm-3i-for-pound60m-400593.html. Retrieved 2010-04-23. 
2. ^ Hamilton, Alan (2007-06-21). "Lingerie boss rejects MBE because Blair is morally corrupt". The Times (London). http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/fashion/article1964026.ece. Retrieved 2010-04-23. 
3. ^ "Joe Corré and Serena Rees: Sex and the City". The Independent (London). 2002-07-29. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/joe-correacute-and-serena-rees-sex-and-the-city-649844.html. Retrieved 2010-04-23. 
4. ^ Wilson, Amy (2009-03-23). "Agent Provocateur says lingerie sales hold up". The Daily Telegraph (London). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/5035993/Agent-Provocateur-says-lingerie-sales-hold-up.html. Retrieved 2010-04-23. 
5. ^ Attwood, Karen (2007-11-16). "Agent Provocateur sold to private equity firm 3i for £60m". The Independent (London). http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/agent-provocateur-sold-to-private-equity-firm-3i-for-pound60m-400593.html. Retrieved 2010-04-23. 
6. ^ Wilson, Amy (2009-03-23). "Agent Provocateur says lingerie sales hold up". The Daily Telegraph (London). http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/5035993/Agent-Provocateur-says-lingerie-sales-hold-up.html. Retrieved 2010-04-23. 
7. ^ Sweney, Mark (2009-01-26). "Kylie in Agent Provocateur lingerie voted 'best cinema ad'". The Guardian (London). http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/jan/23/kylie-minogue-agent-provocateur-cinema-ad. Retrieved 2010-04-23. 
8. ^ "Maggie Gyllenhaal's steamy Agent Provocateur campaign revealed". Daily Mail (London). 2007-09-03. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-479630/Maggie-Gyllenhaals-steamy-Agent-Provocateur-campaign-revealed.html. 
9. ^ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-479630/Maggie-Gyllenhaals-steamy-Agent-Provocateur-campaign-revealed.html Retrieved on 2009-21-04
10. ^ Agent Provocateur Fragrances