Fragrance house

Agent Provocateur

Agent Provocateur was founded in Soho, London, in 1994 by Joseph Corré and Serena Rees, whose first shop opened on Broadwick Street. From the outset, the brand paired colourful, provocative lingerie with Soho’s countercultural setting and a punk-influenced attitude. Its influence on fashion was recognised in 1997, when pieces were shown at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum. After Corré and Rees divorced in 2007, investment firm 3i acquired the brand. Sarah Shotton became creative director in 2010 and has shaped its design direction since then. In March 2017, Agent Provocateur entered administration and was acquired through Four Holdings and Four Marketing, a company part-owned by Mike Ashley. Under the post-2017 ownership, its public creative identity was redirected toward its bolder avant-garde heritage and costume roots. Today, the brand’s identity centres on female-led British luxury lingerie, sensuality, irreverence, signature motifs and designs intended to empower women. Its fragrance legacy includes the eponymous Agent Provocateur perfume, which won the 2001 Fragrance Foundation Award for Best New Female Fragrance in Limited Distribution.