{"id":13370,"date":"2013-03-26T09:00:11","date_gmt":"2013-03-26T09:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.badreputation.org.uk\/?p=13370"},"modified":"2013-03-27T09:19:26","modified_gmt":"2013-03-27T09:19:26","slug":"guest-post-lingerie-women-and-eroticism-a-brief-study-of-the-21st-century-agent-provocateur-woman-part-12","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/badreputation.org.uk\/2013\/03\/26\/guest-post-lingerie-women-and-eroticism-a-brief-study-of-the-21st-century-agent-provocateur-woman-part-12\/","title":{"rendered":"[Guest
Post] Lingerie, Women and Eroticism: A Brief Study of the 21st Century Agent
Provocateur Woman (Part 1\/2)"},"content":{"rendered":"
<ul>
  \n
  <li>
    <em
      >Having had an awesome time at the <a
      href=\"http:\/\/www.rarelywearslipstick.com\/2013\/03\/rwl-awards-the-winners\/\"
      target=\"_blank\">Rarely Wears Lipstick Awards<\/a>, in which we were
      nominated for Best Feminist Blog (and congrats to <a
      href=\"http:\/\/stavvers.wordpress.com\/\"
      target=\"_blank\">Stavvers<\/a>, the fabulous winner!) we are very happy
      to have RWL founder and blogger
      <strong
        >Lori Smith<\/strong> back to BadRep Towers for a two-parter (which is
        possibly NSFW depending on how relaxed your workplace is! Maybe skip the
        vid)&#8230;<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
        <h2>
          Part 1: Agent Provocateur, Discourse and Performativity<\/h2>\n
          <p>
            In 1971, Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren set up \u2018Let it
            Rock\u2019, their first King\u2019s Road boutique. Their son Joseph
            Corr\u00e9 followed in his parents\u2019 footsteps and opened a shop
            in London with his wife Serena Rees in 1994. Named <a
            href=\"http:\/\/www.agentprovocateur.com\/\"
            target=\"_blank\"><strong
              >Agent Provocateur<\/strong><\/a>, the unusual boutique bridged a
              gap between the erotic lingerie sold in Soho\u2019s sex shops and
              the respectable prettiness of the established quality brands sold
              in department stores.<\/p>\n
              <p>
                Corr\u00e9 and Rees saw the brand as a vehicle for their
                creativity and their ideas about women and femininity. In 1995,
                they began a search for a woman who \u2018would represent the
                concepts behind the clothes, model new designs, and be a
                spokesperson at upcoming events\u2019. They saw the face of
                their brand as \u2018charming, glamorous, curvy, independent and
                intelligent\u2019 (see <a
                href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.co.uk\/Agent-Provocateur-Celebration-Femininity-Sexuality\/dp\/1858687586\"
                target=\"_blank\"><strong
                  >Agent Provocateur: A Celebration of
                  Femininity<\/strong><\/a>).<\/p>\n
                  <p>
                    The finalists of their competition were used as part of a
                    publicity stunt at London Fashion Week, staging a
                    demonstration against bland passionless fashion that drew
                    the attention of the assembled press. After a decadent Miss
                    Agent Provocateur Party had been held, where the winner was
                    announced, Corr\u00e9 and Rees realised that a single woman
                    couldn\u2019t represent their brand\u2019s values as the
                    concept was too diverse. Every woman has the potential to
                    become an agent provocateur.<br \ />\n<a
                    href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.badreputation.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/AP1.jpg\"><img
                    data-attachment-id=\"13386\"
                    data-permalink=\"https:\/\/badreputation.org.uk\/2013\/03\/26\/guest-post-lingerie-women-and-eroticism-a-brief-study-of-the-21st-century-agent-provocateur-woman-part-12\/ap1\/\"
                    data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/badreputation.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/AP1.jpg?fit=912%2C684&amp;ssl=1\"
                    data-orig-size=\"912,684\" data-comments-opened=\"1\"
                    data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\"
                    data-image-title=\"AP1\" data-image-description=\"\"
                    data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/badreputation.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/AP1.jpg?fit=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1\"
                    data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/badreputation.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/AP1.jpg?fit=912%2C684&amp;ssl=1\"
                    loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-13386 aligncenter\"
                    alt=\"Agent Provocateur invitation brochure page\"
                    src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.badreputation.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/AP1.jpg?resize=438%2C328\"
                    width=\"438\" height=\"328\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"
                    \/><\/a><\/p>\n
                  </p>
                  <p>
                    Corr\u00e9 and Rees have since divorced, and in 2007, Agent
                    Provocateur was purchased by <a
                    href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/3i\"
                    target=\"_blank\">3i Group<\/a>. This gradually led to a
                    significant change in how the Agent Provocateur woman was
                    represented in the brand\u2019s advertising campaigns. The
                    brochure to showcase the Spring\/Summer 2008 collection
                    retained a lot of the ethos of Corr\u00e9 and Rees\u2019
                    original vision. It has a cover designed to look like an
                    invitation to an exclusive party, featuring the text
                    \u2018you are cordially invited to attend a very private
                    affair [\u2026] Bring a blindfold and an open mind!\u2019.
                    Each image inside forms part of a digitally-created montage,
                    with the pages containing small parts of the panoramic
                    whole, unfolding to reveal one uninterrupted tableau.<\/p>\n
                  </p>
                  <p>
                    <a
                    href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.badreputation.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/AP2.jpg\"><img
                    data-attachment-id=\"13390\"
                    data-permalink=\"https:\/\/badreputation.org.uk\/2013\/03\/26\/guest-post-lingerie-women-and-eroticism-a-brief-study-of-the-21st-century-agent-provocateur-woman-part-12\/ap2\/\"
                    data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/badreputation.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/AP2.jpg?fit=912%2C684&amp;ssl=1\"
                    data-orig-size=\"912,684\" data-comments-opened=\"1\"
                    data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\"
                    data-image-title=\"AP2\" data-image-description=\"\"
                    data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/badreputation.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/AP2.jpg?fit=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1\"
                    data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/badreputation.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/AP2.jpg?fit=912%2C684&amp;ssl=1\"
                    loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-13390 aligncenter\"
                    alt=\"Shot of models at party for AP brochure.\"
                    src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.badreputation.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/AP2.jpg?resize=547%2C410\"
                    width=\"547\" height=\"410\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"
                    \/><\/a><\/p>\n
                  </p>
                  <p>
                    The models are depicted as attendees of the party and are
                    engaging in activities of a sexual nature. Nothing
                    pornographic is depicted, merely hints of erotic and light
                    BDSM play. Most of the party guests are women, clothed in
                    Agent Provocateur lingerie and swimwear, but there are also
                    a number of men in the image. The women take both dominant
                    and submissive roles, whilst the men are purely
                    submissive.<\/p>\n
                  </p>
                  <p>
                    <a
                    href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.badreputation.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/AP4.jpg\"><img
                    data-attachment-id=\"13398\"
                    data-permalink=\"https:\/\/badreputation.org.uk\/2013\/03\/26\/guest-post-lingerie-women-and-eroticism-a-brief-study-of-the-21st-century-agent-provocateur-woman-part-12\/ap4\/\"
                    data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/badreputation.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/AP4.jpg?fit=640%2C480&amp;ssl=1\"
                    data-orig-size=\"640,480\" data-comments-opened=\"1\"
                    data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\"
                    data-image-title=\"AP4\" data-image-description=\"\"
                    data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/badreputation.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/AP4.jpg?fit=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1\"
                    data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/badreputation.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/AP4.jpg?fit=640%2C480&amp;ssl=1\"
                    loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-13398\"
                    alt=\"AP4\"
                    src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.badreputation.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/AP4.jpg?resize=512%2C384\"
                    width=\"512\" height=\"384\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"
                    \/><\/a><\/p>\n
                  </p>
                  <p>
                    Product information about the lingerie sets featured, such
                    as name and price, is listed on the back of the image. With
                    this choice of layout, it could be argued that the images
                    are designed to be enjoyed first, and to be informative
                    second.<\/p>\n
                  </p>
                  <p>
                    <a
                    href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.badreputation.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/AP3.jpg\"><img
                    data-attachment-id=\"13397\"
                    data-permalink=\"https:\/\/badreputation.org.uk\/2013\/03\/26\/guest-post-lingerie-women-and-eroticism-a-brief-study-of-the-21st-century-agent-provocateur-woman-part-12\/ap3\/\"
                    data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/badreputation.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/AP3.jpg?fit=640%2C480&amp;ssl=1\"
                    data-orig-size=\"640,480\" data-comments-opened=\"1\"
                    data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\"
                    data-image-title=\"AP3\" data-image-description=\"\"
                    data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/badreputation.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/AP3.jpg?fit=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1\"
                    data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/badreputation.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/AP3.jpg?fit=640%2C480&amp;ssl=1\"
                    loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-13397\"
                    alt=\"AP3\"
                    src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.badreputation.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/AP3.jpg?resize=512%2C384\"
                    width=\"512\" height=\"384\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"
                    \/><\/a><\/p>\n
                  </p>
                  <p>
                    By contrast, the Autumn\/Winter 2012 collection is presented
                    in a brochure containing separate images for each named set
                    of lingerie, with the product details directly underneath
                    each photograph. The theme of the collection is
                    \u2018Wilhelmina: Show Your True Self\u2019 and the
                    associated campaign focuses on a woman in Victorian London
                    whose inner sensuality is revealed by a backstreet
                    photographer\u2019s magical camera.<\/p>\n
                  </p>
                  <p>
                    <iframe src=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/7DY728GDWI0\"
                    height=\"315\" width=\"560\" allowfullscreen=\"\"
                    frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n
                  </p>
                  <p>
                    Each image contains between one and three female models,
                    with little or no interaction between them. The women are
                    not engaged in any activity other than modelling the
                    clothing for the viewer, and are, as such, passive subjects
                    of the gaze. Hair and make up is consistent throughout and
                    maintains the look of a catwalk show, where the models are
                    presented as a homogenous entity \u2013 a representation of
                    how the brand\u2019s woman should physically embody that
                    season\u2019s look.<\/p>\n
                  </p>
                  <p>
                    <a
                    href=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.badreputation.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/AP5.jpg\"><img
                    data-attachment-id=\"13400\"
                    data-permalink=\"https:\/\/badreputation.org.uk\/2013\/03\/26\/guest-post-lingerie-women-and-eroticism-a-brief-study-of-the-21st-century-agent-provocateur-woman-part-12\/ap5\/\"
                    data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/badreputation.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/AP5.jpg?fit=640%2C480&amp;ssl=1\"
                    data-orig-size=\"640,480\" data-comments-opened=\"1\"
                    data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\"
                    data-image-title=\"AP5\" data-image-description=\"\"
                    data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/badreputation.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/AP5.jpg?fit=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1\"
                    data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/badreputation.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/AP5.jpg?fit=640%2C480&amp;ssl=1\"
                    loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-13400\"
                    alt=\"AP5\"
                    src=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.badreputation.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/AP5.jpg?resize=512%2C384\"
                    width=\"512\" height=\"384\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"
                    \/><\/a><\/p>\n
                  </p>
                  <p>
                    Each model\u2019s &#8216;true self&#8217; appears to be no
                    different from the others. This presents us with a single
                    type of Agent Provocateur woman, as opposed to the idea that
                    she is present in all women, as Corr\u00e9 envisioned
                    seventeen years previously.<\/p>\n
                  </p>
                  <p>
                    <a
                    href=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.badreputation.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/AP12.jpg\"><img
                    data-attachment-id=\"13419\"
                    data-permalink=\"https:\/\/badreputation.org.uk\/2013\/03\/26\/guest-post-lingerie-women-and-eroticism-a-brief-study-of-the-21st-century-agent-provocateur-woman-part-12\/ap12\/\"
                    data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/badreputation.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/AP12.jpg?fit=912%2C684&amp;ssl=1\"
                    data-orig-size=\"912,684\" data-comments-opened=\"1\"
                    data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\"
                    data-image-title=\"AP12\" data-image-description=\"\"
                    data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/badreputation.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/AP12.jpg?fit=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1\"
                    data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/badreputation.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/AP12.jpg?fit=912%2C684&amp;ssl=1\"
                    loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-13419\"
                    alt=\"AP12\"
                    src=\"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.badreputation.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/AP12.jpg?resize=517%2C388\"
                    width=\"517\" height=\"388\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"
                    \/><\/a><\/p>\n
                  </p>
                  <p>
                    It has often been suggested that the female body in lingerie
                    is more erotic than the nude female body. <a
                    href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Roland_Barthes\"
                    target=\"_blank\">Roland Barthes<\/a> touches on this in his
                    essay on striptease, published in <a
                    href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mythologies_(book)\"
                    target=\"_blank\"><strong
                      >Mythologies<\/strong><\/a>:<\/p>\n
                      <blockquote>
                        <p>
                          Woman is desexualized at the very moment when she is
                          stripped naked. We may therefore say that we are
                          dealing in a sense with a spectacle based on fear, or
                          rather on the pretence of fear, as if eroticism here
                          went no further than a sort of delicious terror, whose
                          ritual signs have only to be announced to evoke at
                          once the idea of sex and its
                          conjuration.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
                        </p>
                        <p>
                          At the very heart of the original concept of the Agent
                          Provocateur brand, when it was founded by Corr\u00e9
                          and Rees, was the idea of lingerie as a ritual sign
                          which evoked the idea of sex. Although they sought to
                          design underwear which referenced socially acceptable
                          quality French lingerie, eroticism was very much a
                          part of Agent Provocateur\u2019s core values. They
                          made the brand accessible to women who would not
                          normally venture into sex shops to purchase erotic
                          lingerie.<\/p>\n
                        </p>
                        <p>
                          It could be argued that Corr\u00e9 and Rees were also
                          responding to dominant discourse on sexuality and
                          gender when they set up Agent Provocateur in the
                          1990s. In <a
                          href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_History_of_Sexuality#Volume_I:_The_Will_to_Knowledge\"
                          target=\"_blank\"><strong
                            >The History of Sexuality Volume 1<\/strong><\/a>,
                            Michel Foucault analyses changes in discourse on
                            sexuality and argues that discourse is a productive
                            force; for example, leading to definitions of
                            \u201cnormal\u201d and \u201cother\u201d. He also
                            looks at the concept of docile bodies versus active
                            agency, discussing reverse discourse as an
                            empowering method of countering the dominant
                            discourse.<\/p>\n
                            <p>
                              There is little doubt that Agent Provocateur
                              \u2013 whose name refers to an undercover agent
                              employed to provoke suspects to commit illegal
                              punishable acts \u2013 originally sought to engage
                              in a reverse discourse on female sexuality. In <a
                              href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_History_of_Sexuality#Part_II:_The_Repressive_Hypothesis\"
                              target=\"_blank\"><strong
                                >The History of Sexuality Volume
                                2<\/strong><\/a>, Foucault delves further and
                                discusses what he calls \u2018techniques of the
                                self\u2019, emphasising the role of practices
                                and instruments in generating a sense of
                                self.<\/p>\n
                                <p>
                                  Clothing is very much a \u2018technique of the
                                  self\u2019. People use their clothes to
                                  transform, change and project a chosen image
                                  on a daily basis. Although society still often
                                  restricts the individual\u2019s choice of
                                  outerwear, <a
                                  href=\"http:\/\/www.badreputation.org.uk\/2012\/12\/19\/found-feminism-agent-provocateur-the-chase\/\"
                                  target=\"_blank\">unseen underwear<\/a> offers
                                  the wearer a sense of agency. Lingerie is
                                  considered by many to be an instrument in
                                  generating a sense of self, and it is worth
                                  considering here that the self is also shaped
                                  by gender.<\/p>\n
                                </p>
                                <p>
                                  It is widely understood that gender is a
                                  cultural construction that is shaped by
                                  discursive forces. One of the main issues
                                  considered by Judith Butler is the
                                  performativity of gender. Gender is not a
                                  performance \u2013 as that suggests the
                                  performer returns to a more genuine self once
                                  they leave the stage \u2013 but it is
                                  performative, as we are all constantly putting
                                  on an act. Lingerie is but one aspect of the
                                  act of femininity.<\/p>\n
                                </p>
                                <blockquote>
                                  <p>
                                    Because there is neither an
                                    \u201cessence\u201d that gender expresses or
                                    externalizes nor an objective ideal to which
                                    gender aspires, and because gender is not a
                                    fact, the various acts of gender create the
                                    idea of gender, and without those acts,
                                    there would be no gender at all.<\/p>\n
                                  </p>
                                  <p>
                                    &#8211;
                                    <strong
                                      >Judith
                                      Butler<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
                                      <p>
                                        Therefore, what could possibly be more
                                        \u201cwomanly\u201d than dressing
                                        oneself up in Agent Provocateur
                                        lingerie? In <a
                                        href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Gender_Trouble\"
                                        target=\"_blank\"><strong
                                          >Gender Trouble<\/strong><\/a>, Butler
                                          explores the spaces of resistance to
                                          dominant discourses. Like Foucault,
                                          and with reference to his work, she
                                          asks how we can go beyond the
                                          boundaries imposed on us by discourse,
                                          and explores the concept of agency.
                                          Gender and identity are more of a
                                          \u201cdoing\u201d than a
                                          \u201cbecoming\u201d, and are
                                          constantly shaped by discourse. Like
                                          any woman, the Agent Provocateur
                                          woman\u2019s identity is fluid. She is
                                          constantly made and remade by the
                                          forces around her.<\/p>\n
                                          <ul>
                                            \n
                                            <li>
                                              <em
                                                ><strong
                                                  >Lori Smith<\/strong> is a
                                                  rant-lite feminist who enjoys
                                                  turning her thoughts into word
                                                  form and then throwing them at
                                                  the internet to see what
                                                  sticks. She does this on a
                                                  regular basis over at <a
                                                  href=\"http:\/\/www.rarelywearslipstick.com\/\"
                                                  target=\"_blank\"><strong
                                                    >Rarely Wears
                                                    Lipstick<\/strong><\/a>, and
                                                    has previously <a
                                                    href=\"http:\/\/www.thefword.org.uk\/features\/2011\/05\/fashion_and_gender\"
                                                    target=\"_blank\">contributed<\/a>
                                                    to <a
                                                    href=\"http:\/\/www.thefword.org.uk\/\"
                                                    target=\"_blank\">The
                                                    F-Word<\/a> under her Sunday
                                                    name. <\/em><\/li>\n
                                                    <li>
                                                      <em
                                                        >Pop back tomorrow for
                                                        Part 2 of Lori&#8217;s
                                                        reflections.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div
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                                                                              <p>
                                                                                In
                                                                                1971,
                                                                                Vivienne
                                                                                Westwood
                                                                                and
                                                                                Malcolm
                                                                                McLaren
                                                                                set
                                                                                up
                                                                                \u2018Let
                                                                                it
                                                                                Rock\u2019,
                                                                                their
                                                                                first
                                                                                King\u2019s
                                                                                Road
                                                                                boutique.
                                                                                Their
                                                                                son
                                                                                followed
                                                                                in
                                                                                his
                                                                                parents\u2019
                                                                                footsteps
                                                                                and
                                                                                opened
                                                                                a
                                                                                shop
                                                                                in
                                                                                London
                                                                                with
                                                                                his
                                                                                wife
                                                                                in
                                                                                1994.
                                                                                Named
                                                                                Agent
                                                                                Provocateur,
                                                                                the
                                                                                unusual
                                                                                boutique
                                                                                bridged
                                                                                a
                                                                                gap
                                                                                between
                                                                                the
                                                                                erotic
                                                                                lingerie
                                                                                sold
                                                                                in
                                                                                Soho\u2019s
                                                                                sex
                                                                                shops
                                                                                and
                                                                                the
                                                                                respectable
                                                                                prettiness
                                                                                of
                                                                                the
                                                                                established
                                                                                quality
                                                                                brands
                                                                                sold
                                                                                in
                                                                                department
                                                                                stores.<\/p>\n<div
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