Jean Patou
Encyclopedia
Jean Patou was a French
fashion designer.
, France
in 1880. Patou's family's business was tanning and furs. Patou worked with his uncle in Normandy
, then moved to Paris
in 1910, intent on becoming a couturier
.
. He was mobilised in August 1914, shorty after the German invasion of Belgium. Patou served as a Captain in the Zouaves Reopening his couture house in 1919, he became known for eradicating the flapper
look by lengthening the skirt and introducing sportswear
for women and is considered the inventor of the knitted swimwear and the tennis skirt. He, notably, designed the then-daring sleeveless and thigh-length cut tennis wear for Suzanne Lenglen
. He also was the first designer to popularize the cardigan
and moved fashion towards the natural and comfortable.
in the 1920s. He used women's dress material for his ties and they were displayed in department stores next to women's perfume counter. The designer tie style is still prominent amongst contemporary fashion designers, such as Louis Feraud
, Timothy Everest
, Duchamp
and Paul Smith
In 1928, Jean Patou created "Huile de Chaldée", the first sun tan oil.
When the stock market crashed, however, so did the market for luxury fashion. The House of Patou survived through its perfume
s, which remain well known today.
The best known of Patou's perfumes is "Joy
," a heavy floral scent, based on the most precious rose and jasmine, that remained the costliest perfume in the world, until the House of Patou introduced "1000" (a heavy, earthy floral perfume, based on a rare osmanthus) in 1972. Before Joy, the House of Patou released many other perfumes, many which were to celebrate particular events. For example, Normandie (an oriental forerunner to perfumes such as Yves Saint Laurent
's Opium
) celebrated the French ocean liner of the same name, and Vacances (a mixture of green and lilac notes) celebrated the first French paid national holidays. Other Patou perfumes of the same time were Amour Amour (the forerunner of Joy, using the same rose notes, but without the jasmine), Adieu Sagesse, Que Sais-Je? (these three were released at the same time; Patou's idea was that the light floral Amour Amour was suitable for blondes; the tart, spicy Adieu Sagesse for redheads, and the heavy floral Que Sais-Je? for brunettes), L'Heure Attendue (a wonderful, unique oriental perfume), Divine Folie (a floral vanilla), Câline (a wonderful chypre perfume, similar to the much later Diorling by Christian Dior), Moment Suprême (a perfume based on lavender), Colony (which had a strong pineapple note), Chaldée (Patou's Huile de Chaldée sun oil had become so popular, many customers were buying it purely for its smell, therefore, Chaldée the perfume (a dry musk) was produced), Le Sien (one of the first perfeumes for men and women), and Cocktail (literally a floral cocktail). All these, with the exception of Le Sien, were re-released during the 1980s (under the name Ma Collection), and were available until recently, all in a 50ml Eau de Toilette Spray, 75ml Eau de Toilette bottle, and 30ml pure perfume bottle, each with a unique art deco box. A Jean Patou silk scarf, printed in the same pattern as the box was included with the pure perfume. Joy remains the world's second best-selling scent (the first is Chanel No. 5
), Joy was created by Henri Alméras
for Patou at the height of the Great Depression
(1935) for Patou's former clients who could no longer afford his haute couture
clothing line.
and Karl Lagerfeld
. Jean Patou has continued to produce perfumes, which have included Eau de Patou, Ma Liberté, Un Amour de Patou, Sublime, Patou Forever, EnJoy, and Sira des Indes. Also three men's perfumes, Patou Pour Homme (a spicy chypre), Patou Pour Homme Privé (not dissimilar to Ma Liberté), and Voyageur (a fresh, much more modern scent) have been available. Sadly recent years have seen the discontinuation of Ma Collection, Eau de Patou, Ma Liberté, Un Amour de Patou, as well as a reduction of the products available in the Joy and "1000" ranges. It can only be hoped that one day all the Jean Patou fragrances will be available again, and that they have not been lost forever. Strangely, since Procter & Gamble's takeover of Jean Patou, Joy has dropped in price: prior to the takeover, 15ml of Joy pure perfume cost £175.00; afterwards it dropped £30.00 to £145.00. Part of the explanation may reside in the fact that since the takeover, many Jean Patou products are now manufactured outside France and probably involve less costly, more industrial, processes.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
fashion designer.
Early life
Patou was born in NormandyNormandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in 1880. Patou's family's business was tanning and furs. Patou worked with his uncle in Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
, then moved to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
in 1910, intent on becoming a couturier
Couturier
A couturier is an establishment or person involved in the clothing fashion industry who makes original garments to order for private clients. A couturier may make what is known as haute couture. Such a person usually hires patternmakers and machinists for garment production, and is either employed...
.
1910s - World War I and later
In 1912, he opened a small dressmaking salon called "Maison Parry". His entire 1914 collection was purchased by a single American buyer. Patou's work as was interrupted by World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. He was mobilised in August 1914, shorty after the German invasion of Belgium. Patou served as a Captain in the Zouaves Reopening his couture house in 1919, he became known for eradicating the flapper
Flapper
Flapper in the 1920s was a term applied to a "new breed" of young Western women who wore short skirts, bobbed their hair, listened to jazz, and flaunted their disdain for what was then considered acceptable behavior...
look by lengthening the skirt and introducing sportswear
Sportswear
Sportswear or activewear is clothing, including footwear, worn for sport or physical exercise. Sport-specific clothing is worn for most sports and physical exercise, for practical, comfort or safety reasons....
for women and is considered the inventor of the knitted swimwear and the tennis skirt. He, notably, designed the then-daring sleeveless and thigh-length cut tennis wear for Suzanne Lenglen
Suzanne Lenglen
Suzanne Rachel Flore Lenglen was a French tennis player who won 31 Championship titles between 1914 and 1926...
. He also was the first designer to popularize the cardigan
Cardigan (sweater)
A cardigan is a type of machine- or hand-knitted sweater that ties, buttons or zips down the front; by contrast, a pullover does not open in front but must be "pulled over" the head to be worn. The cardigan was named after James Brudenell, 7th Earl of Cardigan, a British military commander,...
and moved fashion towards the natural and comfortable.
1920s
Jean Patou invented the designer tieNecktie
A necktie is a long piece of cloth worn for decorative purposes around the neck or shoulders, resting under the shirt collar and knotted at the throat. Variants include the ascot tie, bow tie, bolo tie, and the clip-on tie. The modern necktie, ascot, and bow tie are descended from the cravat. Neck...
in the 1920s. He used women's dress material for his ties and they were displayed in department stores next to women's perfume counter. The designer tie style is still prominent amongst contemporary fashion designers, such as Louis Feraud
Louis Feraud
Louis Féraud was a French fashion designer and artist.In 1950, Louis Féraud created his first "Maison de Couture" in Cannes and by 1955 had established a couture house in Paris on the Rue du Faubourg Saint Honoré....
, Timothy Everest
Timothy Everest
Timothy Everest, MBE is a Welsh bespoke tailor and designer who has, according to Vogue, "dressed some of the world's most famous people". Born in Haverfordwest, Wales, he moved to London in his early twenties to work with innovative Savile Row tailor Tommy Nutter, where he learned the art of...
, Duchamp
Duchamp (clothing)
-United Kingdom:*Regent Street, London*Jermyn Street, London*Westfield Shopping Centre-External links:*...
and Paul Smith
Paul Smith (fashion designer)
Sir Paul Smith jr, RDI, is an English fashion designer, whose business and reputation is founded upon his menswear. He is both commercially successful and highly respected within the fashion industry....
In 1928, Jean Patou created "Huile de Chaldée", the first sun tan oil.
1930s
Patou's clothes were marketed mostly to rich American women.When the stock market crashed, however, so did the market for luxury fashion. The House of Patou survived through its perfume
Perfume
Perfume is a mixture of fragrant essential oils and/or aroma compounds, fixatives, and solvents used to give the human body, animals, objects, and living spaces "a pleasant scent"...
s, which remain well known today.
The best known of Patou's perfumes is "Joy
Joy (perfume)
Joy is a perfume created for Parisian couturier Jean Patou by perfumer Henri Alméras in 1929. It is considered to be one of the greatest fragrances created and is a landmark example of the floral genre in perfumery....
," a heavy floral scent, based on the most precious rose and jasmine, that remained the costliest perfume in the world, until the House of Patou introduced "1000" (a heavy, earthy floral perfume, based on a rare osmanthus) in 1972. Before Joy, the House of Patou released many other perfumes, many which were to celebrate particular events. For example, Normandie (an oriental forerunner to perfumes such as Yves Saint Laurent
Yves Saint Laurent (brand)
Yves Saint Laurent or YSL is a luxury fashion house founded by Yves Saint Laurent and his partner, Pierre Bergé. Today, its chief designer is Stefano Pilati. Yves Saint Laurent, founder of the brand, died in 2008.-History:...
's Opium
Opium (perfume)
Opium is an Oriental-spicy perfume created for fashion brand Yves Saint Laurent by perfumer Jean Amic and Jean-Louis Sieuzac of Roure, first marketed in 1977. Its top notes are a mixture of fruit and spices, with mandarin orange, plum, clove, coriander and pepper, as well as bay leaf...
) celebrated the French ocean liner of the same name, and Vacances (a mixture of green and lilac notes) celebrated the first French paid national holidays. Other Patou perfumes of the same time were Amour Amour (the forerunner of Joy, using the same rose notes, but without the jasmine), Adieu Sagesse, Que Sais-Je? (these three were released at the same time; Patou's idea was that the light floral Amour Amour was suitable for blondes; the tart, spicy Adieu Sagesse for redheads, and the heavy floral Que Sais-Je? for brunettes), L'Heure Attendue (a wonderful, unique oriental perfume), Divine Folie (a floral vanilla), Câline (a wonderful chypre perfume, similar to the much later Diorling by Christian Dior), Moment Suprême (a perfume based on lavender), Colony (which had a strong pineapple note), Chaldée (Patou's Huile de Chaldée sun oil had become so popular, many customers were buying it purely for its smell, therefore, Chaldée the perfume (a dry musk) was produced), Le Sien (one of the first perfeumes for men and women), and Cocktail (literally a floral cocktail). All these, with the exception of Le Sien, were re-released during the 1980s (under the name Ma Collection), and were available until recently, all in a 50ml Eau de Toilette Spray, 75ml Eau de Toilette bottle, and 30ml pure perfume bottle, each with a unique art deco box. A Jean Patou silk scarf, printed in the same pattern as the box was included with the pure perfume. Joy remains the world's second best-selling scent (the first is Chanel No. 5
Chanel No. 5
Chanel No. 5 is the first perfume launched by Parisian couturier Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel. The French government reports that a bottle of Chanel No. 5 is sold every thirty seconds and generates sales of $100 million a year. It was developed by Russian-French chemist and perfumer Ernest Beaux...
), Joy was created by Henri Alméras
Henri Alméras
Henri Alméras 1892-1965 was a French perfumer. He was best known for creating many perfumes for Patou, including Amour Amour and Joy.-List of creations for Jean Patou:...
for Patou at the height of the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
(1935) for Patou's former clients who could no longer afford his haute couture
Haute couture
Haute couture refers to the creation of exclusive custom-fitted clothing. Haute couture is made to order for a specific customer, and it is usually made from high-quality, expensive fabric and sewn with extreme attention to detail and finished by the most experienced and capable seamstresses,...
clothing line.
Legacy
Patou died in 1936. His sister Madeleine and her husband Raymond Barbas continued the House of Patou, which remained a family-owned enterprise until September 2001 when it was bought by Procter & Gamble Company. Other designers to have been associated with this house are Jean KerléoJean Kerléo
Jean Kerléo is a perfumer who worked in-house of Jean Patou and is the also the founder and director of the Osmothèque, a fragrance museum and conservatory in Versailles. Kerleo was born on February 24, 1932 in Brittany, France. At age 22, he began making perfumes for a New York company, Helena...
and Karl Lagerfeld
Karl Lagerfeld
Karl Lagerfeld is a German fashion designer, artist and photographer based in Paris. He has collaborated on a variety of fashion and art related projects, most notably as head designer and creative director for the fashion house Chanel...
. Jean Patou has continued to produce perfumes, which have included Eau de Patou, Ma Liberté, Un Amour de Patou, Sublime, Patou Forever, EnJoy, and Sira des Indes. Also three men's perfumes, Patou Pour Homme (a spicy chypre), Patou Pour Homme Privé (not dissimilar to Ma Liberté), and Voyageur (a fresh, much more modern scent) have been available. Sadly recent years have seen the discontinuation of Ma Collection, Eau de Patou, Ma Liberté, Un Amour de Patou, as well as a reduction of the products available in the Joy and "1000" ranges. It can only be hoped that one day all the Jean Patou fragrances will be available again, and that they have not been lost forever. Strangely, since Procter & Gamble's takeover of Jean Patou, Joy has dropped in price: prior to the takeover, 15ml of Joy pure perfume cost £175.00; afterwards it dropped £30.00 to £145.00. Part of the explanation may reside in the fact that since the takeover, many Jean Patou products are now manufactured outside France and probably involve less costly, more industrial, processes.