Coco Chanel's fierce rival: Who is Jean Patou?

Patou, perhaps the first name that should come to mind when it comes to sportswear, was born on September 27, 1887, in Normandy, as the son of a leather tanner father and a housewife mother.

First years

When he received his diploma at the age of 18 after a childhood consisting of peaceful village life, he did not intend to continue his father's legacy, nor did he want to continue his education. On October 25, 1905, he was drafted into the army of his own accord. In this period, despite the warnings, he showed his rebellious stance by not cutting his hair, leaving his bayonet to rust, and making inappropriate statements to the police sergeant, but thanks to his superior qualities, he became a sergeant in 1907 and joined the Provident Forces in 1908. His civilian life, which began on this date, would continue until the outbreak of the First World War in 1914. In those few years, he would get the courage he would need in the future when a small fashion establishment named Parry came in and a New York retailer came in and bought everything.

Jean Patou (27 September 1880 – 8 March 1936) was a French fashion designer and founder of the Jean Patou brand.

When he founded the fashion house he named after himself in 1919, his designs were both wearable in daily life and had an impressive simplicity. Her style influenced the image of the modern woman of the 1920s, and Patou soon had a loyal clientele.

His real passion was sportswear. Believing that sports such as tennis and skiing should be performed in perfect elegance, Patou dressed Wimbledon Champion Suzanne Lenglen in 1921. With her pleated skirt just below the knee, button-up vest, and orange headband, Lenglen inspired women around the world and this look has been copied countless times.

Patou's success was not only because of his pleasure but also because he understood women very well.

He was adept at not only responding to the demands of the time but also showing a woman what she needed. He would be the one to bring back the waist accent that disappeared with the flapper style that swept the 1920s. He made his clients taste the luxury of comfortable clothes during the day while making them feel impressive and feminine at night with her glamorous evening dresses. Inspired by cubism, Patou's most dominant design philosophy, which carries geometric forms to his clothes, was undoubtedly simplicity. He was one of the first designers to produce his colors and fabrics. He stayed away from the concepts of predictability, mediocrity, and repetition, which can be considered the greatest dangers of simplicity.

Fierce Rival of Coco Chanel

Designing for modern women with an active lifestyle has undoubtedly made him one of Chanel's fiercest competitors. Both of them were making great efforts to make a difference, chasing creative ideas. Patou made a lot of noise with the different ways he used to promote his designs at that time. With their narrow silhouettes, athletic legs, and slender ankles, he was fascinated by American models (later known as "American Diana") and thought they were much more fitting than their French counterparts.

A jury was formed in New York to select the models. Consisting of Edna Woolman Chase, editor-in-chief of American Vogue, Condé Nast, owner of the group that hosts the magazine, actress, and decorator Elsie de Wolfe, photographers Edward Steichen and Patou, this jury saw more than 500 models in the Ritz ballroom and only three Patou, who thought he went to America to choose a model, returned to Paris with six models after seeing the girls.

Patou, who also inspired the silhouettes of the heroines of Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway, was also a name that is mentioned when it comes to Hollywood. He dressed the shining stars of the era such as Mary Pickford, Gloria Swanson, and Louise Brooks, proving that his success was not limited to sportswear.

George Hoyningen Huene

He was after new ideas, new people, and a new lifestyle. Fashion photographer George Hoyningen-Heune immortalized the design when Patou designed one of the first modern examples of the one-piece swimsuit in the late 1920s. That photograph is one of the most inspiring in the history of fashion today. He would also reinforce his pioneering in swimwear design by creating the first sunscreen.

Creator of the Fragrance of the Century

Patou was also the first to use the monogram in his designs. The fact that he realized that his newly rich customers like to carry a "certificate" on them was effective in this decision. With this feature, he set an example for countless designers after him.

At the beginning of the 20th century, when fashion houses were excited to create perfumes, Jean Patou entered the field after names such as Paul Poiret and Chanel. In 1928, he created "La Sien", the first unisex perfume, with Henri Alméras, who also worked with Poiret.

In 1930, Joy, which would be known as "the most expensive perfume in the world", was born while the world was struggling with poverty. Joy, which emerged when Patou wanted to create a perfume as a gift for 250 American customers who could not come to Paris due to the Great Depression, was obtained from 10,600 jasmine flowers and 28 dozen roses. The art Deco-inspired bottle design was designed by the French architect Louis Süe. This perfume would become the world's second best-selling perfume (1st place, Chanel N°5) and was awarded the "Scent of the Century" title at the Fifi Awards in 2000.

Businessman Identity

Patou, speedboats, fast cars, beautiful women, gambling; In short, he was a designer who loved the luxurious and bright life. He was also a successful businessman. Adopting American business management, such as profit sharing for executives and a bonus system for models, Patou died on March 8, 1936, at the age of 49, and his sister Madeleine, with whom she had always been close, and her husband, Raymond Barbas, took over the business. Until the last collection prepared by Christian Lacroix in 1987, names such as Marc Bohan, Michel Goma, Jean Paul Gaultier, and Karl Lagerfeld were designed for the fashion house.

Today, Jean Patou continues to fascinate with the scent of jasmine under the roof of Designer Parfums, a British company and lives on as a trace in wardrobes full of sportswear.

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https://www.patou.com/