Agnes b
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Who's behind it?
Agnes Trouble was born in 1941 in Versailles, France. She went to the local art school, Ecole des Beaux-Arts, and initially wanted to be a museum curator. She married at 17, had twins, and then separated from her husband (his name was Bourgois - hence Agnes b). In 1964, she joined Elle magazine as a junior fashion editor. Two years later, she started work as a stylist at Dorothee Bis and launched her own company, CMC. She freelanced and collaborated on collections with designers such as V de V, Pierre d'Alby and Cacharel until 1975.
That year, Agnes b opened her first womenswear boutique in Paris, featuring affordable, relaxed clothes catering to a wide age group.
She moved into menswear and childrenswear six years later followed by Sport b. (casualwear), Lolita (a younger line), Voyage (bags and accessories) and cosmetics.
She also specialises in separates, with one of her signatures being the snap-button cardigan, which she created in 1979 and which was the subject of an exhibition at the Centre Georges Pompidou in 1996.
Agnes B is often quoted as saying that she makes clothes, rather than fashion. 'I have no desire to dress an elite,' she says. 'It's all a game. I work as if I were still in my grandmother's attic, dressing up. Clothes are not everything. When they become too important, when they hide the person wearing them, then I don't like them. Clothes should make you feel happy, relaxed and ready to tackle other problems.'
Her passions include the arts, music, photography and travelling. She opened her first art gallery in 1984, attracting artists such Frederic Bruly Bouabrezc, Claude Leveque and Milk Lash. She opened a gallery in Hong Kong in 2001. In 1997, she launched Point D'Ironie, a magazine dedicated to her love of modern art.
Her empire has grown to include cinemas and florist shops. There's also a travel store, La Maison Sur L'eau, in Hong Kong (opened last year). The first Agnes b cafe, Le Pane Grille, is due to open next month in Causeway Bay.
There are now more than 120 boutiques worldwide, with one opening this month in Belgium. Agnes b remains the head of the business, and singlehandedly designs each of her collections. Her headquarters and home remain in Paris.
The look?
The women's autumn collection evokes a relaxed and polished Parisian look with striped straight-leg trousers paired with a double-breasted jacket and plenty of cashmere. Oversized jeans are worn with a checked shirt and sheep-skin jacket to create an androgynous feel. The palette is inspired by the designer's trip to Iceland and features cool blues, greys and blacks.
The menswear collection pays tribute to rock'n' roll, with patterns including stripes, polka dots and retro prints on tailored, slim-cut shirts worn with velvet suits. A 1970s theme runs through the collection and includes a khaki needle-corduroy suit worn with a flora-print shirt and mustard wool sweater.
Who swears by it? David Bowie, Yoko Ono and Liam Gallagher. Local fans include Anthony Wong Chau-sang and Cherie Chung Chor-hung.
Fun fact? She has only ever attended one fashion show in her life: Yves Saint Laurent's final one.
Where? Agnes b's Femme, Homme, Sport b and Voyage is available at IFC Mall, Central, tel: 2805 0678
