Joseph Corre British businessman, fashion designer, co-founder of the Agent Provocateur brand and public figure Date of Birth: 30.11.1967 Country: Great Britain

Joseph Corré Biography

Joseph Ferdinand "Joe" Corré, a British businessman, designer, co-founder of the brand "Agent Provocateur," and social activist, introduced the world to "lingerie inspired by the rebellious spirit of rock 'n' roll." He was born on November 30, 1967, in Clapham, London, to British fashion designer Vivienne Westwood and British musician and producer Malcolm McLaren, the former manager of the legendary punk rock band Sex Pistols.

Corré's surname comes from his paternal grandmother, who was a Sephardic Jew from Portugal. In his childhood, Joe wore designer clothes made by his mother and considered Sex Pistols his favorite music group, despite his strained relationship with its frontman, John Lydon.

Corré met his future wife and business partner, Serena Rees, at a nightclub in 1992. At the time, Rees was working as a model in Chelsea. The couple has a daughter together. They divorced in 2007.

The lingerie brand "Agent Provocateur" was created in 1994 after Rees became tired of the dull lingerie produced by other manufacturers. They opened a store in a former butcher's shop where they initially sold colorful and fashionable lingerie from other designers that both Corré and Rees liked. However, Corré soon realized that there was no brand he wanted to sell, which led him to create his own line of provocative lingerie. Since then, "Agent Provocateur" has grown to include 30 stores in 14 countries.

The brand focused on beauty and eroticism without vulgarity, which marked the beginning of the "sexy chic" style, taking over from its predecessor, "porno chic." "Agent Provocateur" gained additional notoriety through its provocative videos. In December 2001, a short film featuring Kylie Minogue wearing the brand's lingerie while riding an electric bull was released. The video was banned from television but was shown in movie theaters before adult films.

After Rees left Corré for Paul Simonon, former bass guitarist of the Clash, the ex-spouses agreed to sell "Agent Provocateur" to private equity firm 3i for £60 million in 2007. In June of the same year, Corré was honored as a member of the Order of the British Empire for his contributions to the fashion industry. However, he declined the knighthood as a protest against then-Prime Minister Tony Blair's actions in Iraq.

In 2008, Corré invested in opening an independent boutique named "A Child of the Jago" in partnership with British businessman Simon Armitage, modeled after his parents' retail stores in the 1970s and 1980s. Armitage left the business in 2013 and is no longer mentioned in the history of "A Child of the Jago."

In 2010, Corré was hired as the brand director for the British cosmetics company "Illamasqua." The brand expanded, opening several stores in the UK and gaining international recognition.

Corré played a significant role in organizing his father's funeral, which featured a bouquet with the slogan "Too Fast To Live Too Young To Die," a new name for McLaren's boutique "Let It Rock" in 1973. The funeral was attended by celebrities such as Bob Geldof, the leader of punk rock band The Boomtown Rats, and artist Tracey Emin. Punk songs, including Sid Vicious' version of "My Way," were performed to honor McLaren.

In 2012, the court gave official approval to McLaren's will, which Corré had contested due to the omission of his name. Corré registered as an administrative employee on the malcolmmclaren.com website in 2012. He purchased the domain name from Paul August Nordstrom of Singapore for $750. Nordstrom had worked for McLaren and registered the domain under his own name without McLaren's knowledge in 1997.

In 2013, Nordstrom claimed that he could no longer remember why he registered the domain under his name. Previously, he had refused to transfer the domain to the "Malcolm McLaren Estate."

Before the general elections in 2015, Corré was one of several celebrities who supported Caroline Lucas' candidacy for the Green Party of England and Wales in parliament.