British lingerie retailer founded in 1994 by Joseph Corré and Serena Rees
Summary Agent Provocateur is a British lingerie retailer founded in 1994 by Joseph Corré and Serena Rees. The company has stores in 13 countries and it is considered as one of the most iconic fashion brands in the world. The brand is famous for their passion for creating beautiful and luxurious lingerie. The AP name has become synonymous with global leadership in […]
Agent Provocateur is a British lingerie retailer founded in 1994 by Joseph Corré and Serena Rees.
The company has stores in 13 countries and it is considered as one of the most iconic fashion brands in the world. The brand is famous for their passion for creating beautiful and luxurious lingerie. The AP name has become synonymous with global leadership in style, design innovation and the empowerment and celebration of women. The company is known for its provocative videos.
Agent Provocateur ad
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. The company sold colourful and fashionable lingerie. Joseph Corré was the designer for the brand.
In 2007, after the divorce of Corré and Rees, 3i, a private equity firm that invests in mid-size companies, purchased 80% of the company for £60 million. 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.
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.”
