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]
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]
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. 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. 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] Its US business entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy the following month, with US stores also being sold to Four Holdings.[11]
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.[12]
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.[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, British model Daisy Lowe in 2008,[18] and model Hailey Clauson in a 2014 ad campaign photographed by Miles Aldridge.[19] In January 2019, the brand hired plus-size model Charli Howard to front their Valentine's Day campaign, entitled "A Love Letter To Myself".[20]
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.[21]
Agent Provocateur had some of its advertisements banned by the Advertising Standards Authority (United Kingdom) for "being degrading to women."[22][23]
Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, many Western companies curtailed their operations in Russia.[24] According to Agent Provocateur's Russian website[25] 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.[26]
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."[27]
