Los Angeles Fashion Week Fall '06: Agent Provocateur

Agent Provocateur’s lingerie runway show March 20 ran the gamut from virgin to vixen to appeal to a range of sexual appetites at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Smashbox Studios. A lineup of well-known celebrities seated in the front row, including Cher, Christina Aguilera, Carmen Electra, Courtney Love and Anthony Kiedis, set off a flurry of flashbulbs before the British label’s presentation on the catwalk.

Serena Rees, co-founder of Agent Provocateur, described the show as the story of a woman’s progression from purity to sexual awakening. The show opened with a white bride in silky satin and three blushing bridesmaids in pastel confections of lace and ruffled lingerie. A capsule of vintage- inspired swimwear was mixed in, ranging from a leopard print to nautical themes.

Whether the lingerie was sweetly coquettish or a vampy black number, there was an element of frisky costume dressing, as seen in a plum-colored ballerina skirt and an outfit accessorized with a Catwoman-like mask. Models equipped with whips and chains, demonstrating a fierce dominatrix style, closed the show. —Rhea Cortado