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{{Short description|British businesswoman (born 1968)}}

{{multiple issues|
{{Cleanup bare URLs|date=August 2022}}
{{COI|date=July 2017}}
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{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person
| name = Serena Rees
| name = Serena Rees
| honorific_suffix = [[Order of the British Empire (MBE)|MBE]]
| image =
| image =
| alt =
| alt =
| caption =
| caption =
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| nationality = [[British nationality law|British]]
| nationality = [[British nationality law|British]]
| occupation = [[Businessperson|Businesswoman]]
| occupation = [[Businessperson|Businesswoman]]
| spouse = [[Joseph Corré]] <small>(????-2007) divorced</small>
| spouse = [[Joseph Corré]] (????–2007) divorced
| children = 1
| children = 1
| partner = [[Paul Simonon]] <small>(2007-present)</small>
| partner = [[Paul Simonon]] (2007–present)
}}
}}


'''Serena Rees''' (born 14 March 1968)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://web.researcha.com/iccquery/detail/?did=6248941&c=uk |title=Researcha.co.uk - UK Company and Company Director Reports |publisher=Web.researcha.com |date= |accessdate=2012-02-23}}</ref> is a [[United Kingdom|British]] businesswoman, and the founder of fashion label Les Girls Les Boys, launching globally in September 2017. Rees co-founded [[Agent Provocateur (lingerie)|Agent Provocateur]] with her then husband [[Joseph Corré]].
'''Serena Rees''' [[Order of the British Empire (MBE)|MBE]] (born 14 March 1968)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://web.researcha.com/iccquery/detail/?did=6248941&c=uk |title=Researcha.co.uk - UK Company and Company Director Reports |publisher=Web.researcha.com |date= |accessdate=2012-02-23}}</ref> is a British entrepreneur, founder, fashion designer, and public speaker. She founded [[Agent Provocateur (lingerie)|Agent Provocateur]] with her then husband [[Joseph Corré]] in 1994 and Les Girls Les Boys in 2017.

[[File:Serena Rees credit Ana Cuba colour.jpg|thumb]]


==Early life==
==Early life==
An adopted daughter of Indian parents, Rees was working as a model in Chelsea,<ref>http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/personal-view/3640836/Panty-politics.html</ref> when in a nightclub in 1992 she met Joseph Corré, [[Vivienne Westwood]] and [[Malcolm McLaren]]'s son.
Rees was adopted at an early age by Indian parents; her birth mother was from Kashmir. Rees left school at age 16.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/how-i-make-it-work-serena-rees-fv50xgglz5n|title=How I make it work: Serena Rees|journal=The Times|first=Lindsay|last=Baker|date=29 August 2010|accessdate=3 February 2024}}</ref> She was working as a model in Chelsea,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/personal-view/3640836/Panty-politics.html|title = Panty politics| date=24 June 2007 }}</ref> in 1992 when she met Joseph Corré, the son of [[Vivienne Westwood]] and [[Malcolm McLaren]].

⚫
==Les Girls Les Boys==
In May 2017, Rees unveiled plans for Les Girls Les Boys - a new-to-market underwear, intimates and streetwear label for men and women. The brand will launch globally on September 1 2017. Les Girls Les Boys will embody the antithesis of Agent Provocateur's risqué aesthetic, a contrast that reflects a cultural shift over the past decade. Rees believes her new brand's identity speaks to the way consumers want to engage with their sexuality, the same way Agent Provocateur did in the late '90s and early-to-mid '00s. <ref>https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/news-bites/news-bites-serena-rees-new-label-goop-to-pop-up-at-nordstrom</ref>


==Agent Provocateur==
==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.<ref name="independent1">[http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/joe-correacute-and-serena-rees-sex-and-the-city-649844.html] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110502011312/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/joe-correacute-and-serena-rees-sex-and-the-city-649844.html |date=May 2, 2011 }}</ref>
Rees decided to open a lingerie store that would be filled with colourful and fashion-forward lingerie. The store opened in 1994 on Broadwick Street, [[Soho]] as a retail shop. Eventually Rees and Corre began designing their own line of lingerie as well.<ref name="independent1">{{cite web |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/joe-correacute-and-serena-rees-sex-and-the-city-649844.html |title= Joe Corré and Serena Rees: Sex and the City - Profiles, People - the Independent|website=www.independent.co.uk |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110502011312/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/joe-correacute-and-serena-rees-sex-and-the-city-649844.html |archive-date=May 2, 2011}}</ref>


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.<ref name="independent1"/> 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]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/5035993/Agent-Provocateur-says-lingerie-sales-hold-up.html |title=Agent Provocateur says lingerie sales hold up |publisher=Telegraph |date= 2009-03-23|accessdate=2012-02-23 |location=London |first=Amy |last=Wilson}}</ref>
Agent Provocateur became a well known brand selling in 13 different countries and over 30 stores. Rees maintained a strict confidentiality policy which allowed celebrity clients to feel comfortable purchasing the products.<ref name="independent1"/> Rees made sure to cater to a celebrity clientele by enforcing a strict confidentiality policy. The brand often features celebrity models such as [[Kate Moss]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/5035993/Agent-Provocateur-says-lingerie-sales-hold-up.html |title=Agent Provocateur says lingerie sales hold up |publisher=Telegraph |date= 2009-03-23|accessdate=2012-02-23 |location=London |first=Amy |last=Wilson}}</ref>


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.<ref>{{cite news|last=Attwood |first=Karen |url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/agent-provocateur-sold-to-private-equity-firm-3i-for-pound60m-400593.html |title=Agent Provocateur sold to private equity firm 3i for £60m - Business News - Business |publisher=The Independent |date=2007-11-16 |accessdate=2012-02-23 |location=London}}</ref>
Rees and Corre sold Agent Provocateur to [[private equity]] house [[3i]] for £60m,<ref>{{cite news|last=Attwood |first=Karen |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/agent-provocateur-sold-to-private-equity-firm-3i-for-pound60m-400593.html |title=Agent Provocateur sold to private equity firm 3i for £60m - Business News - Business |work=The Independent |date=2007-11-16 |accessdate=2012-02-23 |location=London}}</ref> as part of their divorce settlement.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Libby Banks|title=The millennials redefining sexy|language=en|url=http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20200428-the-brands-redefining-sexy?referer=https://www.bbc.com/|access-date=2020-05-07}}</ref>

⚫
==Les Girls Les Boys==
[[Les Girls Les Boys]] is a men's and women's underwear, intimates and streetwear brand, founded by Serena Rees in May 2017.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/news-bites/news-bites-serena-rees-new-label-goop-to-pop-up-at-nordstrom|title=News Bites &#124; Serena Rees' New Label, Goop to Pop-Up at Nordstrom|newspaper=The Business of Fashion |date=4 May 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.sidewalkhustle.com/serena-rees-launches-les-girls-les-boys/ |title=Serena Rees Launches 'Les Girls les Boys' &#124; Sidewalk Hustle |access-date=2017-06-16 |archive-date=2017-05-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170517170206/http://www.sidewalkhustle.com/serena-rees-launches-les-girls-les-boys/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bustle.com/p/les-girls-les-boys-is-the-unisex-underwear-brand-you-need-on-your-radar-55647|title=Les Girls les Boys is the Unisex Underwear Brand You Need on Your Radar|newspaper=Bustle }}</ref><ref>http://www.theindustrylondon.com/agent-provocateur-co-founder-serena-rees-launches-new-label/</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://fashionunited.uk/news/fashion/agent-provocateur-co-founder-serena-rees-to-launch-new-label/2017050524415|title = Agent Provocateur co-founder Serena Rees to launch new label|date = 5 May 2017}}</ref>


==Other business ventures==
==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.<ref>{{cite news|author=Interviews by Rhiannon Harries |url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/how-we-met-joel-bernstein--serena-rees-1824089.html |title=How We Met: Joel Bernstein & Serena Rees - Profiles - People |publisher=The Independent |date=2009-11-22 |accessdate=2012-02-23 |location=London}}</ref>
Rees then started Cocomaya, a bakery and chocolatier with several branches in London, where she resides with her daughter and partner Simonon.<ref>{{cite news|author=Interviews by Rhiannon Harries |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/how-we-met-joel-bernstein--serena-rees-1824089.html |title=How We Met: Joel Bernstein & Serena Rees - Profiles - People |work=The Independent |date=2009-11-22 |accessdate=2012-02-23 |location=London}}</ref>



==References==
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}

{{Authority control}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Rees, Serena}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rees, Serena}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:British businesspeople]]
[[Category:21st-century British businesswomen]]
[[Category:English people of Kashmiri descent]]
[[Category:1968 births]]
[[Category:1968 births]]

Latest revision as of 07:57, 26 July 2024

Serena Rees
MBE
Born (1968-03-14) 14 March 1968 (age 56)
England
NationalityBritish
OccupationBusinesswoman
SpouseJoseph Corré (????–2007) divorced
PartnerPaul Simonon (2007–present)
Children1

Serena Rees MBE (born 14 March 1968)[1] is a British entrepreneur, founder, fashion designer, and public speaker. She founded Agent Provocateur with her then husband Joseph Corré in 1994 and Les Girls Les Boys in 2017.

Early life

[edit]

Rees was adopted at an early age by Indian parents; her birth mother was from Kashmir. Rees left school at age 16.[2] She was working as a model in Chelsea,[3] in 1992 when she met Joseph Corré, the son of Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren.

Agent Provocateur

[edit]

Rees decided to open a lingerie store that would be filled with colourful and fashion-forward lingerie. The store opened in 1994 on Broadwick Street, Soho as a retail shop. Eventually Rees and Corre began designing their own line of lingerie as well.[4]

Agent Provocateur became a well known brand selling in 13 different countries and over 30 stores. Rees maintained a strict confidentiality policy which allowed celebrity clients to feel comfortable purchasing the products.[4] Rees made sure to cater to a celebrity clientele by enforcing a strict confidentiality policy. The brand often features celebrity models such as Kate Moss.[5]

Rees and Corre sold Agent Provocateur to private equity house 3i for £60m,[6] as part of their divorce settlement.[7]

Les Girls Les Boys

[edit]

Les Girls Les Boys is a men's and women's underwear, intimates and streetwear brand, founded by Serena Rees in May 2017.[8][9][10][11][12]

Other business ventures

[edit]

Rees then started Cocomaya, a bakery and chocolatier with several branches in London, where she resides with her daughter and partner Simonon.[13]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Researcha.co.uk - UK Company and Company Director Reports". Web.researcha.com. Retrieved 2012-02-23.
  2. ^ Baker, Lindsay (29 August 2010). "How I make it work: Serena Rees". The Times. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
  3. ^ "Panty politics". 24 June 2007.
  4. ^ a b "Joe Corré and Serena Rees: Sex and the City - Profiles, People - the Independent". www.independent.co.uk. Archived from the original on May 2, 2011.
  5. ^ Wilson, Amy (2009-03-23). "Agent Provocateur says lingerie sales hold up". London: Telegraph. Retrieved 2012-02-23.
  6. ^ Attwood, Karen (2007-11-16). "Agent Provocateur sold to private equity firm 3i for £60m - Business News - Business". The Independent. London. Retrieved 2012-02-23.
  7. ^ Libby Banks. "The millennials redefining sexy". Retrieved 2020-05-07.
  8. ^ "News Bites | Serena Rees' New Label, Goop to Pop-Up at Nordstrom". The Business of Fashion. 4 May 2017.
  9. ^ "Serena Rees Launches 'Les Girls les Boys' | Sidewalk Hustle". Archived from the original on 2017-05-17. Retrieved 2017-06-16.
  10. ^ "Les Girls les Boys is the Unisex Underwear Brand You Need on Your Radar". Bustle.
  11. ^ http://www.theindustrylondon.com/agent-provocateur-co-founder-serena-rees-launches-new-label/
  12. ^ "Agent Provocateur co-founder Serena Rees to launch new label". 5 May 2017.
  13. ^ Interviews by Rhiannon Harries (2009-11-22). "How We Met: Joel Bernstein & Serena Rees - Profiles - People". The Independent. London. Retrieved 2012-02-23.
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