Everyone’s heard of Agent Provocateur; the lingerie brand that flipped the narrative when it launched in the ‘90s, subverting the male gaze and empowering women with lingerie created for them and inspired by them. Underwear that was designed to make you feel fun, sexy and confident. Underwear that was about the one wearing it. Underwear that wasn’t afraid of its own appeal.

And the woman at the helm today? Creative director Sarah Shotton. A powerhouse in the industry, Shotton has held the role since 2010, shaping Agent Provocateur into one of the hottest British brands today.

To celebrate International Women’s Day, Shotton chatted to us about the women who have inspired her, creating lingerie that empowers women and what she hopes to be her legacy.

It’s time to get to know Sarah Shotton…

Agent Provocateur is all about subverting the male gaze to empower women. What’s front of mind to you when building the brand? And how do you think lingerie can be used as a tool to empower?

Agent Provocateur has always been about the woman being in control. When the brand launched in the ‘90s, it felt like women were making noise and pushing new conversations - laddettes beating the lads at their own game! We were the first lingerie brand to really join in with this; it was great to witness the flipping of that script and to be working for a brand that was putting women at the forefront and in control of their own sexual desires and having fun with it. Lingerie can be such a powerful tool to build confidence and transform how you feel about yourself. It's like a secret superpower - no one else knows what you have on underneath your clothes, but they can see how confident you are, and that can totally transform your day. It can be so powerful, it's almost kind of intoxicating.

You’re renowned for your incredibly powerful campaigns. Your SS19 campaign broke so many barriers, in terms of diversity and ownership of our bodies. What’s front of mind when you’re creating campaigns and where does your inspiration come from?

I think the aerobics-themed SS19 campaign, Pump It Up, came just at the right time. It's sometimes about timing and really understanding what is needed for the brand right at that moment. I think at that time a lot of underwear brands were afraid to be what they needed to be and were maybe playing it a bit safe. A lot of important political things had happened the year before that needed to happen, but there was a question about how to approach sex appeal and feeling sexy in this changing landscape. That’s how Pump It Up was born: I was thinking this brand is about girl power, having fun, owning your sexuality and being unapologetic. We wanted to do something fun and memorable, so we did the shoot with 30 dancers from all over the world, all shapes and sizes, and they all threw shapes to some ‘90s club house bangers - the atmosphere was INCREDIBLE.

I’m always talking to women about how they feel about the brand and their bodies. I’m always looking around at women that inspire me - our customers, athletes, actresses, everyone. The SS20 campaign came from spending time with some of the team GB Olympic climbing team. I was talking to some of them about how they feel about their bodies, and they were discussing about being shamed over the years for having a strong, muscular physique. I was shocked and horrified that this still going on. They were saying that because they were climbing as good as the men, some people were assuming they didn’t want to be, or shouldn’t be, perceived as being feminine. I wanted to change this as these women are like superheroines to me! I wanted to show that what they did for a living is phenomenal but do it in a Provocateur way. This is how Play To Win was born which really shows the true power of the female body, but in a fun, tongue-in-cheek fashion. We originally planned it for the Olympics, but then because of Covid the Olympics didn’t happen. Sport really makes you feel good about yourself and your body, hopefully like Agent Provocateur lingerie does. So, both the Play To Win and the Pump It Up campaigns feel connected and very important to me.

Lingerie is such an intimate – and personal – part of a woman’s wardrobe. How does this influence your designs and how do you go about creating with this in mind?

When I’m working with the team on the collections, I’m always thinking: “is this true to Agent Provocateur? Would I wear it? Is it transforming the body, and how the wearer feels about their body? Does it make you feel strong and sexy?” I don’t really think of an AP collection as intimates or something personal; I see it as a costume to explore your alter ego, almost like your armour. This is what influences me when creating. Is this going to make somebody feel like they can take over the world in their knickers? If yes, then it goes in the collection.

What’s the most important thing for you when designing for women and what’s inspiring you?

The most important thing for me is that someone in a changing room is going to feel better about themselves; to start to love their lumps and bumps and see them as things of beauty and sexiness. That is my motivation. I strongly believe that we as women spend too much time worrying about things that we should be embracing and loving. Strong women inspire me - in films, in music, at clubs, in careers - I'm designing for those women, and they are my motivation.

You’ve said that you’ve worked in almost every department of Agent Provocateur. How has this and how does this shape your work?

I started when the brand was still fairly young and had no money, so I've really been lucky to work in most areas of the company alongside the founders. Although at the time it didn't always feel like that, haha! I was a bit of a Girl Friday, and at the time I was always thinking: "can I have just one area that I just look after please?" But I’m super happy I did because I've had the experience to get to know AP inside out, so when I'm working with the different teams I understand when they have a problem and how to fix it. It's also good because if someone is struggling and needs a bit of a hand, I know what to do and I'm not afraid to get my hands dirty.

How do you think Agent Provocateur’s heritage and history have helped to influence the brand’s success today?

It really was the first of its kind. You didn’t have much choice in the UK for sexy lingerie that was as incredible to wear as it was to look at. There was Marks and Spencer (that weren’t doing sexy then) or Anne Summers. A lingerie brand that was fashionable, vintage in style, modern in attitude, that felt cool and empowering and rock'n'roll simply didn't exist. It was born in the era of Cool Britannia, so it really felt like a moment. The Agents working in the boutiques had this Vivienne Westwood-designed pink uniform that became a bit of an icon in itself... Women couldn’t get enough of the brand and men couldn’t stop buying it for their girlfriends and wives. If you receive a pink Agent Provocateur box, you know your partner has excellent taste in lingerie! I think because of its strong heritage and it being the originator of lingerie designed for women, by women, it's stood the test of time. It’s a unique brand and no one else has managed to replicate it.

What’s been the biggest challenge for you at Agent Provocateur and navigating such a male dominated industry in a very female-centric brand?

I feel like I've been lucky, in that I've never had any major problems with the men in my industry. I think it's because I am very strong willed - I have a vision and no one can get in the way of that. I have always been about everyone being equals and being treated as such.

Love, passion, power and an obsession with and for women shines through Agent Provocateur. How would you describe the brand’s ethos and the way you create?

Fearless femininity and feeling filthy-elegant! It’s all about the strength of the woman and her sexual power - that’s the ethos. Girls together supporting each other and having fun.

You’ve worked with the likes of Charlie XCX, Gabriette and Liberty Ross to front your iconic campaigns. What are you looking for in the women you work with?

We only work with women who love and wear the brand. There has to be a natural synergy there, otherwise it wouldn’t feel authentic, and [the] customer would pick up on that. We know it's not always easy posing in your underwear, so they also need to be confident and comfortable in themselves to carry that off. They also need to be memorable and have that X factor - that certain attitude that you can just feel when you see them.

What makes an Agent Provocateur woman?

Confidence, playfulness, with a nonchalant, self-assured attitude. Sometimes the sexiest women have a not giving a f*** attitude. When she enters the room, she has presence - everyone either wants her or wants to be her (or both).

What does fashion mean to you?

Uniqueness, experimentation, and pushing boundaries.

What women have inspired you most in your life and why?

I think a lot of my friends from school that I grew up with inspired me in attitude. We were full of fire and drive and enthusiasm. There was a lot of ‘Girl Power’ there and it was encouraged to be individual and think outside the box, as well as the power of a positive mindset. A lot of them have all gone on to do great things.

My Mum was also a major inspiration - if it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t have been creative; she pushed me to follow my dreams. Mary, one of my Mum's good friends, also had a big effect on me growing up. She was an amazing horse rider, incredibly glamorous and wore fabulous clothes. She drove a Porsche with a number plate reading F*** You! Men were terrified of her, and she didn't suffer fools gladly. My sister too - she’s hard as nails! She says she needs to scare herself every day to feel alive – she’s constantly pushing her boundaries and is totally unafraid... I feel very lucky to have been surrounded by dynamic women from such a young age.

What do you hope will be your legacy with Agent Provocateur and beyond?

I like to think I’ve helped bring sex out of dingy, male-gaze focused shops, and handed it back to women to explore their own pleasure with. Showing that things can be kinky, cool, fashion-forward, and lots of fun all at the same time. And demonstrating that lingerie is as much about pleasing the person wearing it, as it is about the person looking at it!