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

{{multiple issues|
{{Cleanup bare URLs|date=August 2022}}
{{COI|date=July 2017}}
{{COI|date=July 2017}}
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{{Infobox person
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| name = Serena Rees MBE


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{{Infobox person
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| name = Serena Rees
| honorific_suffix = [[Order of the British Empire (MBE)|MBE]]
| image =
| image =
| alt =
| alt =
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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 best known for cofounding [[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.


==Early life==
==Early life==
An adopted daughter of Indian parents, Rees was working as a model in Chelsea,<ref>https://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]].


==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 Corré, 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">[https://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=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>
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 Corré 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=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 |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==
[[Les Girls Les Boys]] is a men’s and women’s underwear, intimates and streetwear brand, founded by Serena Rees in May 2017.<ref>https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/news-bites/news-bites-serena-rees-new-label-goop-to-pop-up-at-nordstrom</ref><ref>http://www.sidewalkhustle.com/serena-rees-launches-les-girls-les-boys/</ref><ref>https://www.bustle.com/p/les-girls-les-boys-is-the-unisex-underwear-brand-you-need-on-your-radar-55647</ref><ref>http://www.theindustrylondon.com/agent-provocateur-co-founder-serena-rees-launches-new-label/</ref><ref>https://fashionunited.uk/news/fashion/agent-provocateur-co-founder-serena-rees-to-launch-new-label/2017050524415</ref>
[[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=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 |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==
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{{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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