Agent Provocateur carries it to the extremes at the 2008 Life Ball Whatever the weather might hold, May 17, 2008, the opening ceremony of the 16th Life Ball is going to be hot: The British cult label Agent Provocateur ensures a sensual mixture of frivolous play, fetish chic and glamour on the Red Ribbon catwalk in front of the Vienna City Hall. As pompous as the catwalk in the shape of the familiar Red Ribbon may be - on May 17, 2008, the square in front of the Vienna City Hall will be transformed into an intimate back room, into the backstage area of a rock 'n' roll party! That’s where we will find Agent Provocateur. Founded in 1994, the saucy lingerie label has influenced underwear culture on planet Earth ever since. Located between keyhole eroticism, preciously wrapped voyeurism and irritating provocation, Agent Provocateur will present their creations at the prestigious Life Ball fashion show. Within a provocative entertainment show, the label will introduce the audience to the fascinating world of vaudeville, striptease and dance by means of spectacular show acts, which will simultaneously bedazzle and excite viewers. AP’s mastermind is Joseph Corré. Being the only child of fashion designer Vivienne Westwood and former Sex Pistols’ manager Malcolm McLaren, provocation runs in Corrés‘ DNA. The innovative lingerie line is known for its cutting edge marketing campaigns - in a 2001video clip, Kylie Minogue claimed that Agent Provocateur lingerie was the most provocative in the world. The proof involved her riding a mechanical bull in AP lingerie. Banned by television, the advert was released on the Internet and soon became one of the most viewed videos online. The hype that followed the commercial was continued by Dita von Teese, Kate Moss, and Maggie Gyllenhall, all of which have modeled for Agent Provocateur. Paparazzi closely watch the 37 AP stores, among them London and Paris, New York and Los Angeles – celebrities such as Madonna, Amy Winehouse, Gwen Stefani, Paris Hilton, Nicole Kidman, and Victoria Beckham are attracted by the lascivious image of the British cult label. There are currently about 300 employees working for the company (only three of them are male, by the way). Between covering and uncovering, the famous lingerie line evokes desires and dreams. As 40-year-old Corré puts it, "people should become aware of their own sexuality ". This is only reinforced by Gery Keszler, who wants to remind us of the fact that self-determination and sexual freedom have to be protected. Clearly, Life Ball has been promoting this motto since its establishment. "After Heatherette’s extravagant show playing with clichés in 2007, we want to openly discuss the manifold interactions in the relationship between male and female with this year’s fashion show. Agent Provocateur stands for sensuality, seduction and mankind’s oldest desire: the lust between male and female. By using this genuinely heterosexual theme, we wanted to send a clear signal about tolerance and put an end to the stereotypical assumption that only homosexuals are affected by HIV and AIDS," states Keszler. He is looking forward to the event: "It is going to be a brilliant show close to the pulse of time, a tightrope walk between taboos and new interpretations of wornout clichés". Agent Provocateur’s sparkling stage show unites fashion, lingerie, live rock 'n' roll and erotic dance on the picturesque square fronting Vienna’s City Hall. Correspondingly, Joe Corré is looking forward to "a hilarious show in the city of Sigmund Freud and Arthur Schnitzler. Nevertheless, we must not forget the real reason for our being here: We want to contribute to the fight against HIV and AIDS." Both models and celebrities, accompanied by live acts, can be seen on the catwalk. The show will be broadcasted live by the Austrian Broadcasting Cooperation (ORF). www.agentprovocateur.com