Jean Patou – Couturier and Visionary in the era of Flapper Girls.

Last Updated on October 8, 2022 by Dominique de Merteuil

Jean Patou Sketches Directly from the JP Archives!

I’m thrilled to share with you the incredible & probably never-shown-before Jean Paotou sketches courtesy of the official Jean Patou press office.

Living Out of Boxes Filled with Fashion Books

Moving house is never a simple task especially if it involves relocating not so much from one borough to another but to an entirely new country.

I’ve done this a few times in my life, and lived in many cities around the world but I have to say that I find the whole experience quite cleansing, as it fills my heart with optimism and adventure for new quests.

There is, however, one inevitable and utterly annoying aspect of moving house, one has no choice but to live out of boxes for as long as it takes for the custom-made furniture to be made and delivered… Eight to twelve weeks!

I have bedrooms brimming with boxes, and a kitchen choked by cartons and I find myself constantly quoting Elizabeth Taylor, who in describing her abode in the film ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf’, exclaimed

What a dump!

It’s my own doing though and I have so many boxes because of my many passions & “mild” addictions to; antiques, French interior design, the history of couture and, of course, books on fashion.

Though I managed to kick my habit of paperbacks a long time ago, the ‘Hardbacks Anonymous’ in me did nothing to stop my compulsive caressing of felt-covered volumes and hard spines. So these take up a few… Alright, a lot of boxes, and while I wait for the delivery of the bookcase that will house my precious first editions, I find myself burdened with Elizabeth Taylor’s words wondering in which box is what.

There are, however, two books that I always know the whereabouts of. ‘Hollywood Glamor Portraits 1926-1949’ and ‘Avedon Photographs 1947-1977′. The latter contains some incredible Haute Couture dresses and of those, my personal favourites are those by Jean Patou.

Couturier and Visionary in the era of Flapper Girls

Some of you may instantly recognise the name Jean Patou. For those not familiar with one of the most influential designers of the 20th Century, allow me to take you back to the year 1919 when after WWI had ended, Jean Patou re-opened his salon at 7 Rue Saint Florentin in Paris.

Soon he was to become the toast of Parisian society, known for the simplicity and elegance of his designs that combined both, beauty and comfort.

When he opened a boutique ‘Le Coins de Sports’, where each room was devoted to a different type of sport, he cemented his place in couture history.

• The ‘Le Sien’ fragrance introduced in 1929 was the first unisex perfume.
• One of his perfumes, ‘Joy’ is still the second most popular perfume in the world today.
• He was the first designer to put his initials on sweaters and being one of the first to develop the off-the-rack concept, he created a range of non-shrinking swimwear that every modern woman would desire.
• Jean Patou’s genius lay in creating very modern designs and trends that would be … for years to come.
• Not long after his success, however, in 1936 Jean Patou departed this world at the age of 49 and sadly did not live to see how his genius in the modern would go on to influence a new generation of designers. Karl Lagerfeld, Christian Lacroix and Jean Paul Gaultier have all designed for the Patou label.

Sketches

Special thanks to the entire Jean Patou team for sending me the amazing Jean Patou archived sketches so I can share them with the rest of the world!

You might be interested in an article about Christian Dior and the Parisian fashion icons from the Adam Leja collection.

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