Kim Winser, former chief executive officer of Aquascutum and Pringle, has been named chairman of the British lingerie brand Agent Provocateur.
Winser had spent the past few months working with the brand on behalf of its owners, 3i. The position is her first official role since she left her post at Aquascutum last spring after a failed management buyout bid.
“I am delighted to be taking on this exciting new role,” Winser told WWD. “Agent Provocateur is a benchmark brand in its field, and was founded with creative drive and inspiration. It is now time to build on the foundations created and develop the brand into a true global business.”
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Winser succeeds Stuart Rose – not the Marks & Spencer plc ceo, but a former deputy chairman of The Body Shop – who had been with the lingerie company for two years.
Equity firm 3i took a majority stake in the brand in 2007, and since then has been positioning it for growth via store openings and licensing deals.
The brand plans to open a total of seven new stores by October. Last October, it signed a license with British company BJB to produce a jewelry line, and inked a 10-year licensing deal with Designer Parfums, a British fragrance distributor and manufacturer. The firm is also negotiating licenses for bedding, vintage-style sunglasses and umbrellas.
Last October, co-founder Joe Corre quit Agent Provocateur, which he founded 15 years ago with his then-wife Serena Rees. Rees had already left the business.