How she takes risks, creates trends, and celebrates bed-to-street clothing
Through a long career in the fashion world, Serena Rees has consistently carved out her own niche. In the early 1990s, after a stint working with legendary English designer Vivienne Westwood, she and her then-husband (Westwood’s son) decided to open a London-based lingerie store offering bold, exciting pieces instead of the drab underwear and bras they saw populating the marketplace.
They soon realized, however, that there was a dearth of existing products they’d actually want to sell. “I couldn’t find things that were high enough quality and in fabrics or colors I wanted,” she explains. So, they began designing their own lingerie, founding the brand Agent Provocateur in 1994. The line embraced sexuality and power, with daring garments that often featured Westwood-inspired corsetry. “It was a collection of intimates, but very much with a fashion background,” says Rees. “We could take risks because it was our business, whereas [bigger companies] couldn’t do what they wanted. They had to follow trends, while we created trends.”
Twenty-five years later, with her newest line Les Girls Les Boys, Rees remains a fashion disrupter. Adapting to a less formal, generational shift in dressing, the company, which she started in 2017, sells underwear, athleisure, and swimwear—all meant for mixing and matching across genders, age groups, and daily activities.
Furthermore talked to the businesswoman about lessons learned, design inspiration, and her wellness rituals.
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