© the other press e Culture January 21, 2004 Agent Provocateur’s Naughty Knickers Amanda Aikman Culture Editor Have you ever wished that an avant-garde British fashion designer and the manager of a seminal punk band would produce an offspring that would one day grow up to co- create a line of racy, kitschy lingerie? Well stop wasting your wishes already, that one was granted in 1994, Joe Corre (son of Vivienne Westwod and Sex Pistols’ manager Malcolm McLaren) along with his wife/business partner Serena Rees, are the stylishly dirty minds behind London's brilliant Agent Provocateur. The concept is a blend of 50s pinup-boudoir glamour and 80s punk fetishism. The result—jaw dropping, unique, and beauti- ful pieces that will send your Jockey For Hers scuttling to the back of your undie drawer in shame. The folks at Agent Provocateur believe that a woman's relationship with her lingerie should be more personal than other mass-producing manufacturers allow for. They claim as they enter their tenth year that “the company remains committed to investment in creativity led by pure instinct of that which is beautiful, and of course, that which is erotic.” This commitment to originality and to not be swayed by trends is part of what makes the British label so coveted by celebrities and fashionistas worldwide. Recent coups for the design house include the creation of specialty items for DJ Hell’s Gigolo Records’ 100th release and the Rolling Stones’ 40 Licks tour. Hmm...can't you just picture Keith Richards in their fuschia “Babette” g-string? The ultra hip lingerie label is home to such pricey and hot (yet incredibly cool) underpinnings as the £85.00 “Francoise Bra,” a pale pink number with black chantilly lace overlay, or the £135.00 “Diva Corset,” which is made from duchesse satin and comes with detachable suspender clips. My personal favourite is the “Peonie” bra and brief in red gossamer. It even comes with a large detachable peonie bloom accent. These items, along with a fabulous selection of bras, suspenders, hosiery, corsets, footwear, fragrances, and of course knickers, can be viewed on their award-winning website . Visiting the website is definitely worth the trip. You can select an “agent” to “play with” and each agent has a brief movie you can watch. If you think youd like to see a half naked woman tie herself up with a phone chord then check out Agent Peonie, if youd prefer to watch two women wrestle suggestively and tear each other’s hosiery off, then Agent Nikita is probably more your bag. The site also has desktop pictures, screensavers, ecards, and online movies (of their runway shows), which you can gain access to by joining “Club AP.” Shedding the image of British prudery, along with a great deal of clothing, Agent Provocateur continues to evolve. Next up is a sassy retro swimwear line that is sure to heat up the beach any time of year. Amanda Aikman Culture Editor It’s January and everybody's trying to quit smoking. But Smokin’ Cinema cigarette. Now I know, I know, smoking will kill you. And it = Threads of Expression Celebrate your style! is a charity fashion show to commemorate Black History Month taking place Saturday, February 21, 2004 at Alan Emmott Centre, 6650 South Oaks Crescent, in Burnaby, BC. All proceeds made will go toward two charities of the National Congress of Black Women; M.O.D.E.L.S.S which brings grade 10-12 students to SFU to acclimate them to university life and UMOJA which works to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS and also assists peo- ple living with HIV/AIDS. The show will have three fashion aspects (cultural, urban, and high fashion) along with performances (dance, singing, drumming, and more) and an art display featuring artists of Caribbean and African descent. Doors will open at 6pm and the ~ show begins at 7pm with a dance to follow. Tickets will be $12. No minors please. | wait—dont be so hasty, smoking is cool. At least that’s what Hollywood has led me to believe anyway. Of course motion pictures have also tried to tell me that killing people is cool, or worse yet—that Stephen Baldwin is cool. So why is it that I won't buy that but a good David Lynch movie sends me scurrying from the theatre in search of nicotine every time? I guess I am weak, but I defy anyone to tell me Humphrey Bogart didn’t have a little sumpin’ sumpin’ goin’ on when he lit up in Casablanca, or Uma Thurman in Pulp Fiction, or even that weasly little Ethan Hawke fella in Reality Bites. And don’t even get me started on Jeff Tweedy in J am Trying to Break Your Heart. According to Chloé Sevigny, Parker Posey, Kate Moss, Crispin Glover, Colin Farrell, and Benicio Del Toro are just a few of the celebrities who have been spotted with that hippest of fashion accessories—the XY is gross. And it is expensive. And it is controlled by the evilest of evil corporate interests. But man don’t you remem- ber how foxy James Dean looked when he smoked in Rebel Without a Cause? Yeah, okay, so there are movies like The Insider that show the scary side of big tobacco, but what about movies like 200 Cigarettes, Smoke, or the upcoming Jim Jarmusch feature Coffee and Cigarettes? These films not only have characters that smoke, they glorify the act of smoking itself. The sound of a Zippo clicking shut, the way smoke languidly escapes from an exhaling screen siren, the way Sean Penn squints as he sucks back a Marlboro—these are the things that get me every time. So Telly Savales can keep his lollipops, but if Johnny Depp ever asks “who loves him baby?” I'll be first in line, and T’ll make sure to bring a light. eee Page 18 e http://www.otherpress.ca Dh Brought to you by the African and Caribbean Heritage Students Association of SFU, the Caribbean and African Association of UBC, Colour Connected Against Racism of UBC, the African and Caribbean Society of Douglas College and the National Congress of Black Women Foundation. For more information on this event, you can also call Kelly at 604.787.6255 or Anthea at 604.339.8669. Thank you for your help in spreading the word to those in need and those who can help!