Provocateur

This photo was taken through the shop window of Agent Provocateur at 133 Mercer Street in SOHO. I have gone by here many times, but walking with a camera changes things - I become much more attentive to the usual in my life, subconsciously looking for that photo op. What struck me here was that at first glance I thought that this was a real person, not a mannequin. I also did not realize until doing this post, that Agent Provocateur is a well known lingerie brand started in SOHO London in 1994 by Joseph Corre and Serena Rees (Corre is the son of British fashion designer Vivienne Westwood and Sex Pistols' ex-manager, Malcolm McLaren.) They now have a number of stores worldwide featuring upmarket goods and a coterie of celebrity patrons. They are also known for their over-the-top controversial ads such as the one in 2001 featuring Kylie Minogue riding a bull in lingerie to punk music (you can do your own youtube search). They "introduced their vision of lingerie avoiding the British prudery that insists on categorising anything to do with sex as sleazy or smutty." You can read their vision statement here ...