Her style of dress at the time, which included selections from France's Monoprix discount chain, was inspired less by fashion than thrift, but the magazine liked what it saw and hired her as a junior editor.

With a mind towards designing rather than editing fashion, she left Elle after less than two years, preferring apprenticeships even when they paid little and offered no time off.

[1] Formerly a butcher shop, the black and white tiled store had a rustic, communal atmosphere, defined by an indoor swing for children and an impromptu aviary (in reality an on-site bird population that over time grew from two to 30).

As of October 2023, agnès b. operates one store in New York City, at 1063 Madison Avenue, which originally opened in 1984, and an online e-boutique.

In 1984, agnès b. opened the Galerie du Jour in Paris, exhibiting Graffiti artists such as A-one, Futura 2000, Henry "Banger" Benvenuti, Sharp, and others; Bazooka, Bad BC, Echo et Mode2, BBC (Bad Boys Crew), Ash, Skki et Jayonedont, Les Tétines Noires, les Frères Ripoulin.

She also designated an entity for personal projects, christened Love Streams, with the blessing of Gena Rowlands, widow of John Cassavetes, who directed the 1984 film of the same name.

She has also directed two documentaries (as Agnès Troublé): Une sorte de journal vidéo in 2011, and Je m'appelle Hmmm.... in 2013, which entered in competition for the Orizzonti section of the 70th Venice International Film Festival.