Serena Rees: Agent Provocateur

Serena Rees
Age: 34
Company: Agent Provocateur

Rees and co-founder Joseph Corre held up two fingers to British prudishness set up shop in 1994 with the launch of high-class lingerie outfit Agent Provocateur. Now a cult brand it has six stores, three in the UK and four more planned this year.

2016 update:

Agent Provocateur now operates 100 stores across 13 countries. In 2007, private equity firm 3i purchased 80% of the company for £60m, at which point Rees sold her shares and stepped away from the business. She now owns and runs a bakery and chocolatiers, Cocomaya on Connaught Street, which she co-founded with fellow fashion heavyweights Walid al Damirji and Joel Bernstein. The business produces a range of artisan chocolates, pastries and chocolate-based products.