A new campaign with filmmaker Anton Corbijn goes back to the brand’s seductive Soho roots – creative director Sarah Shotton tells us more

Text Dominic Cadogan

Since it was created in 1994 – by Vivienne Westwood’s son Joseph Corré and Serena Rees – Agent Provocateur has been all about encouraging the women who wear its designs be both powerful and playful. Working her way up from a shop assistant in 1999, Sarah Shotton became creative director of the lingerie brand in 2010. Since then, her goal has been to transform an essential everyday item into something that is special – and of course, sexy too. For the latest campaign – the first since the brand became under new ownership – Shotton has gone right back AP’s alluring roots, recalling the grit of Soho where it first opened back in the mid-90s. Enlisting photographer and filmmaker Anton Corbijn to shoot the images and accompanying film, the clip features models Magdalena Frackowiak, Élise Crombez and Abbie Fowler, and sees the girls playing pool in an underground bar while men watch from behind a glass screen. OK, we know it might sound eyebrow-raising, but the joke’s definitely on the voyeurs in the end. The collection itself takes inspiration from the empowering history of the brand, with the aim to find something that could work for everyone. Here, we speak to Shotton about her career, the changing landscape of the lingerie industry and where she finds her inspiration.

Do you remember your first bra? Sarah Shotton: Well yes, but my first ever bra wasn’t very exciting – it was simple triangle bra from Marks & Spencer. It didn’t fit and I remember being really disappointed about it. Since I can remember, I had a hard time finding a bra that fits and is beautiful at the same time. I think that is what drew me to designing underwear. My most memorable bra as a teenager was a wired three-part cup bra in electric blue satin and lace. I loved the fact that you could see it underneath my school shirt, as it was so bright! What does femininity mean to you? Sarah Shotton: Empathy and womanliness. It’s that softness in the way you approach something, the way someone moves and dresses. “I think the modern feminist wears a bra and doesn’t burn it! The most important thing is that we are able to choose how we want to look and what we want to wear” – Sarah Shotton How about sexiness? Sarah Shotton: Sexiness is not about beauty, it’s about confidence and attitude. It’s about being comfortable in your own skin. We’ve recently seen a massive rise in ‘feminist’ lingerie brands. How do you think the world of underwear is changing? Sarah Shotton: Well there are much more lingerie brands available now than when Agent Provocateur first started. I think the modern feminist wears a bra and doesn’t burn it! The most important thing is that we are able to choose how we want to look and what we want to wear without external pressure or a man’s idea of sexiness. It’s about wearing underwear for ourselves and nobody else. Why should every woman own a great set of underwear? Sarah Shotton: There is something deeply empowering about a beautiful set of lingerie under your clothes, it is your little secret and you can decide whether you can choose to show it off or not. Underwear is the first thing you put on every morning, it sculpts your body and defines everything that goes on top.