Agent Provocateur (lingerie)

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Agent Provocateur is a British lingerie retailer founded in 1994 by Joseph Corré and Serena Rees.[1] The company has stores in 13 countries.[2]

History

1994–2007

In 1994, Agent Provocateur was founded by Joseph Corré, the son of Vivienne Westwood, and his then-wife Serena Rees. The first store opened in Soho on Broadwick Street.[3]

The company sells colourful and fashionable lingerie[4] Joseph Corré is the designer for the brand.[5]

2007–2017

In 2007, after the divorce of Corré and Rees, 3i, a private equity firm that invests in mid-size companies,[6] purchased 80% of the company for £60 million.[1][7]

Between November 2007 and March 2009 the company opened 13 shops, expanding to the US, Russia, Dubai and Hong Kong[8] By March 2008, Agent Provocateur's profits dropped 18% to £2.2 million due to the cost of expansion.[8]

Garry Hogarth stepped down as CEO in February 2016.[9]

In March 2017, the business entered administration.[10] As part of a "pre-pack" deal, it was purchased by Four Holdings, a company one-third owned by British businessman Mike Ashley who reportedly paid around "£25m after seeing off competition from private equity firm Lion Capital."[10]

Marketing

The company is known for its provocative videos. Australian actress Melissa George, English model Chloe Hayward and American model Elettra Rossellini Wiedemann appeared in a John Cameron Mitchell-directed campaign, which urged women to control their own destinies while wearing the company's lingerie.[11]

In December 2001, company produced a controversial short film featuring Kylie Minogue riding a velvet bucking bronco while wearing the company's underwear to prove that their lingerie brand is the most erotic according to the male viewers.[12][13][14]

In the 2000s, the brand's annual revamp of its website, first by Wax New Media[15] and then Large Design,[16] became an industry benchmark.

In 2006, Mike Figgis directed a short film for Agent Provocateur starring model Kate Moss.[17]

Other models have included actress Maggie Gyllenhaal in 2007,[12][18] British model Daisy Lowe in 2008,[19] and model Hailey Clauson in a 2014 ad campaign photographed by Miles Aldridge.[20] In January 2019, the brand hired plus-size model Charli Howard to front their Valentine's Day campaign, entitled "A Love Letter To Myself".[21]

The original Agent Provocateur logo and wordmark were set from an existing over-the-counter typeface. As Corré’s venture grew, graphic design company House Industries redrew and expanded on the logo. They penned a flowing Spencerian wordmark as well as a racy leg logo for products including tissue paper and fabric monograms.[22]

Criticism

Agent Provocateur had some of its advertisements banned by the Advertising Standards Authority (United Kingdom) for "being degrading to women."[23][24]

Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, many Western companies curtailed their operations in Russia.[25] According to Agent Provocateur's Russian website[26] there are 10 Agent Provocateur franchise stores still operating in Moscow, leading to claims that the company is helping to finance Russia's war in Europe.[27]

Agent Provocateur said that the stores are "operated by franchisees under franchise/license agreements" according to "a system established by the previous owner of the business, many years ago" and that the company itself "does not 'operate' in Russia."[28]

References

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