Patou

Born in 1887, Jean Patou founded his first couture house when he was just 23 years old.

With his Jean Patou brand, created in 1914, “the most elegant man in Europe” – as the American press called him – revolutionized women’s fashion. A true aesthete and pioneer, Jean Patou designed evening gowns that were as elegantly simple as they were chic, along with the first relaxed sportswear collections.

Jean Patou welcomed the heroines of the era to the headquarters of his Maison on rue St. Florentin, including Louise Brooks, Joséphine Baker and Mistinguett, as well as tennis champion Suzanne Lenglen and music hall stars the  Dolly Sisters.

A visionary and lover of speed sports, Jean Patou died in 1936 when he was just 48. His Maison, which had become a fashion institution, was helmed by a succession of stellar designers: Marc Bohan, Karl Lagerfeld, Jean Paul Gaultier and Christian Lacroix.

In 2018 maison Jean Patou was reborn with a new name – Patou – and a new creative director Guillaume Henry. He will present his first women’s ready-to-wear collection  in Paris in September 2019.