Serena Rees
| Serena Rees | |
|---|---|
| Born |
14 March 1968 England |
| Nationality | British |
| Occupation | Businesswoman |
| Spouse(s) | Joseph Corré (????-2007) divorced |
| Partner(s) | Paul Simonon (2007-present) |
| Children | 1 |
Serena Rees (born 14 March 1968)[1] is a British businesswoman best known for cofounding Agent Provocateur with her then husband Joseph Corré.
Early life
An adopted daughter of Indian parents, Rees was working as a model in Chelsea,[2] when in a nightclub in 1992 she met Joseph Corré, Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren's son.
Agent Provocateur
Rees - tired of seeing women dressed in drab undergarments - came up with an idea to start a lingerie store that was filled with colourful and fashion-forward lingerie. In partnership with Corre, a former employee of his mother's business, in 1994 the two partners opened Agent Provocateur on Broadwick Street, Soho. This was a pure retail shop which bought-in stock, and neither business partner initially had any intentions of designing lingerie. However, after having difficulties finding attire they liked, they started their own line.[3]
Since 1994, Agent Provocateur grew into a brand spanning into 13 different countries with over 30 stores. Rees made sure to cater to a celebrity clientele by enforcing a strict confidentiality policy.[3] Consequently, all employees sign confidentiality agreements not to talk about clients. Due to their popularity among celebrities, the brand often features celebrity models such as Kate Moss.[4]
After Rees left Corre for ex-Clash bassist Paul Simonon in 2007, the to-be divorced couple agreed in the same year to sell Agent Provocateur to private equity house 3i for £60m.[5]
Other business ventures
Rees then started Cocomaya, a bakery and chocolatier with several branches in London, where she resides with her daughter and partner Simonon.[6]
References
- ↑ "Researcha.co.uk - UK Company and Company Director Reports". Web.researcha.com. Retrieved 2012-02-23.
- ↑ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/personal-view/3640836/Panty-politics.html
- 1 2 Archived May 2, 2011, at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ Wilson, Amy (2009-03-23). "Agent Provocateur says lingerie sales hold up". London: Telegraph. Retrieved 2012-02-23.
- ↑ Attwood, Karen (2007-11-16). "Agent Provocateur sold to private equity firm 3i for £60m - Business News - Business". London: The Independent. Retrieved 2012-02-23.
- ↑ Interviews by Rhiannon Harries (2009-11-22). "How We Met: Joel Bernstein & Serena Rees - Profiles - People". London: The Independent. Retrieved 2012-02-23.