Agent Provocateur is coming to Australia!!!

 

The announcement has finally been made! Scream it loud, pass it around, Agent Provocateur is coming to Australia! I had to stop current work dead in it's tracks to write this post. It has been a long time coming and the announcement made yesterday is starting to create interest amongst the fashion set. The down side of this exciting news is where this famous label is going to be opening their first Australian store... within David Jones....

Agent Provocateur will be set up as a concession within the troubled department store, aiming to be opened by February 2013. They are starting with only two stores, in Sydney and Melbourne CBD David Jones only. It is a test I'm sure for bigger and better things. Australian's already love this label even though it has never been for sale in the country before. Previously only the perfume line was allowed to be sold due to rights to the label. But we Aussies are the 4th largest online market for AP worldwide. This to me I think is based more on hits than actual purchases, but still, the interest is already there.

People say they know the label and I'm sure will go in to the store once it opens, however I don't think everyone knows the full details about Agent Provocateur, including it's price point. So let me tell you the bare facts about AP.

#1 This label was started in 1994 by Serena Rees and former husband Joseph Corre (the son of Vivienne Westwood). It opened in the red light district of London and with the help of the high powered couples social circles they quickly built up a celebrity following. The store started out stocking high end designs from around the world which were a little more unique and kinky. After finding a market for that style in the UK and lack of available stock, they started their own line. The company was sold to 3i in 2007 and expansion/world wide lingerie domination started....

#2 The labels unique, fun, and naughty styling made it very popular to men and women alike. The main thing that made this label a success was their great marketing. It was constantly cheeky and made the product highly desirable. Who remembers the famous video featuring Kylie Minogue riding a mechanical bull in skimpy lingerie? Yes that was an AP ad and it went viral around the world. From great photography, celebrity endorsements and advertisements this label was what people wanted even if they couldn't afford it (or didn't even know the price) Marketing was everything..

#3 Now lets talk about the prices here... It is a high price point lingerie label. It sits between Pleasure State Couture and La Perla, with a completely different styling. Think more unusual, sexy, bedroom pieces. Bras range between $100 for something quite simple to $200 for the more interesting items. So for a set you will be looking at spending $200-800 depending on what pieces you get. Why wouldn't you add a matching suspender to a set when it's up for offer? The most expensive piece Agent Provocateur released was a $24,000 bodysuit. Yes you heard me. $24,000!!! And this is coming from a label that is now predominantly made in Romania...

Now you've got the facts... Here are some pretty pictures from AP from over the years!

 

I am very excited that Agent Provocateur is finally opening here and am curious to see how it will go in this rather sluggish retail market. Hopefully the advertising will not only boost sales for David Jones but also give us more beautiful imagery through their advertising, which I'm sure there will be  a lot of money spent on... I will be there on the day of opening for sure! Follow me on Twitter for up to the minute news.

www.twitter.com/mylingerieaddiction

Do you own anything from Agent Provocateur? What do you think of the label?