Agnès b.

Agnès b.

One of the most celebrated fashion designers in France would be none other than Agnès Andrée Marguerite Troublé also known as Agnès B. She was born in 1941 in Versailles and is known for her self-named brand Agnes B which has gained the likes and admiration of many fashion and film interests.

Agnès gave birth to twins at a very young age of 19 but that did not stop the young and determined mother from pursuing a career in fashion design after being separated from the twins’ father at the age of 20. She completed her graduation from École du Louvre in Paris. Agnès caught her first lucky break when her strong personal style attracted Elle magazine workers at a local flea market in Paris and then there was no looking back. The unique dress she wore at the flea market landed her a job at Elle Magazine as a junior editor. But her career as an editor was short lived since she wanted to design cloths rather than editing and started working as a press attaché and designer for Dorothy Bis in Paris. Between the years 1965 and 1966, she freelanced for V de V, Limitex, Eversbin and Pierre d’Alby.

After gaining considerable experience she decided to go solo, Agnès launched her company Comptoir Mondial de Creation in 1967. She opened her first boutique in 1975 in a former butcher shop in Les Halles. Soon after, she experimented with menswear in 1981 after observing women’s wear designed with a masculine touch. In 1983, Agnès went international with her first shop opening in SoHo District of New York. Her love for New York City stemmed from the genre of American crime films which was quite apparent with the décor of her store having large vintage film posters on display. Agnès also came up with her first perfume called Le b. in 1987 which later expanded into a skincare and cosmetics range. Within the next few years, Agnès went on to include shoes, maternity wear and handbags to her repertoire.

Agnès b.’s collaboration with Seiko and L’Oreal are worth mentioning since these two brands made her even more prominent than before on the fashion map. For L’Oreal, she designed a beauty line and for Seiko, she designed watches and eyewear. She expanded into a multi-million dollar venture with stores around the globe in countries like Tokyo, Singapore, London, Amsterdam, Shanghai and Beijing. Agnes is not only a hotshot designer but a responsible socialite too. She supports organizations like ACT UP et Handicap International and AIDES. In 1984, Agnès b. opened a gallery in Paris by the name of Galerie du Jour which exhibited work of many famous graffiti artists.

Agnès b. collaborated with Harmony Korine and opened a production company called O’Salvation. She also provided funds for the completion of movies like Irreversible directed by Gasper Noe and Trouble Everyday, directed by Claire Danes. For her personal projects, Agnès started an entity called Love Streams in partnership with Gena Rowlands, the widow of John Cassavetes who was the director of the movie, Love Streams released in 1984.

For her remarkable contributions to the fashion industry, Agnès was made the Knight of Ordre national du Merite on May 21, 1985. She was also made the Knight of the Legion d’Honneur in 2000.