Agent Provocateur Spring 2023 Ad Campaign Review

Review of Agent Provocateur Spring 2023 Ad Campaign by Creative Director Sarah Shotton with Photographer Carin Backoff with models Vinetria and Kate Li

Agent Provocateur explores the sexy side of queenly grace with a new campaign for Spring 2023. The campaign was shot by photographer Carin Backoff.

Taking her cue from the lavish lace, bows, and metallics of the collection, Backoff captures her models among the ornate and sultry appointments of a neo-baroque interior, where they rest on silk sheets, recline on rococo couches, and smolder before velvet curtains. In one image, a table laden with a spread of immense pastel-frosted further pushes the feeling of sweetly sinful indulgence.

While Agent Provocateur’s campaigns typically tend to have an ironic edge and layered meaning to them, often lampooning the male gaze and the absurdity of its objectifying expectations of women’s bodies, this campaign feels more direct, instead opting for straight-up sexiness and boudoir opulence – although there is definitely some humor and perhaps some satire in just how over the top it is. And, importantly, the campaign is about women feeling sexy for themselves rather than looking sexy for men – an important affirmation that is further exemplified by the all-woman creative team.