Jean Patou |
Born in 1887, this sons of easy tanners lived a happy childhood in Normandy near his parents.
In 1910, he settles in Paris and decides to open a sewing house and to associate a workshop of fur there, but this first experiment is a failure. By no means discouraged, Jean Patou opens a new house, but he will resell it since 1912 to buy its first true store with the roundabout of the “Champs Elysées”. It is a little later than he will buy a splendid private mansion at Saint Florentin street, close to the place of the “Concorde”.
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In 1915, after the declaration of war, the crack corps of the Zouaves to which he belongs is sent on the face of Dardanelles where the engagements are held among more the violent ones. There, Jean Patou will know the deprivations, the fear of the attacks and the horror of the war.
Of return in Paris, since 1919, he takes again its activity of dressmaker. Creator of pullovers and coordinated waistcoats, innovator of female sporting fashion among others and famous striped sweaters blue and white to be related to pleated skirts, he will not be long in triumphing in the United States.
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The Sportswear |
Suzanne Lenglen |
Patou gave to the women a new feeling of freedom all into exciting their femininity. He diversified its creations while being devoted with the sportswear among others. He will still innovate by creating the first shorts of tennis seams large player of tennis Suzanne Lenglen.
He will draw the first cardigans in jersey and bathing suits in knitting, will manufacture accessories matched with its behaviours, will mark them of its monogram and will leave, in 1927, the first sun oil: the Oil of Chaldée.
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It is into 1925 that Jean Patou launches his the first three perfumes, “Amour Amour”, heady fragrance being addressed to brown, “Que sais-je”, lighter fragrance intended for the blondes and “Adieu Sagesse”, reserved for the russet-red ones. Four years later, it launched to “Le Sien”, its first unisex perfume then “Moment Suprême”.
All the bottles having a stopper in the pineapple shape are created by Louis Süe and André Mare, two architects decorators.
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Amour Amour, Que Sais-je, Moment Suprême et Adieu Sagesse |
But Jean Patou thought that it missed at its house, a "Perfume Headlight". All that Henri Alméras, perfumer attached to the house, proposed was not appropriate him. Patou wanted a perfume out of the ordinary run which would obtain an immediate success on the market. Loan to be given up, Henri Alméras proposed a last fragrance made up of the most invaluable essence of pink and jasmine, by indicating that the cost price of this composition would undoubtedly be well too high so that it can be marketed: it would be necessary, said one, 10 600 flowers of jasmine and 28 dozen pinks to obtain 3 Cl of perfume. But our very daring Jean Patou was allured! One owes in Elsa Maxwell (friend and adviser of Patou) the invention of the slogan "Joy, the perfume expensive in the world"! who accompanied his launching in 1930. The bottle, traditional, was drawn by Louis Süe. In 1932, inspired by an old jade snuffbox of his collection, Jean Patou outlined the drawing of the black and red small perfume bottle in which JOY is also presented.
It should be noted that Joy still appears, today, among the five larger perfumes of the world.
Joy |
Small perfume bottle |
New creations are connected: in 1933, launching of "Divine Folie", then in 1935, launching of ?Normandie? offered to each passenger taking part in the inaugural crossing of the famous steamer.
In 1936, at the time of the first paid-leaves, creation of "Vacances" This perfume will be its last launching bus mined by money worries and anxious for the future of its house which employed a thousand of people, Patou disappears prematurely this same year, following an
attack of apoplexy: it was 49 years old
It is Raymond Barbas, his brother-in-law, who takes again the direction of the house, he will create "Colony" in 1938, then in 1946, the hour awaited to celebrate the release. "Lasso" will launch in 1956 and the "Câline" perfume in 1964.
Colony |
Câline |
In 1967, Jean Kerléo, new nose of the house, succeeds Henri Alméras and Henri Giboulet. In 1972, he creates "1000", a perfume made up of very invaluable essence just like "Joy". The "Eau de Patou" will be born in 1976, "Patou for man" in 1980, "Sublime" in 1992. "Voyageur", male juice, in 1995 and "Patou For Ever" in 1998. This same year, creation of "Un Amour de Patou", first perfume of the young person and new perfumer house, Jean-Michel Duriez. Launching also of "Patou Nacre" and "Patou Hip", series limited for the American market, "Paname de Patou" for Duty free and "2000 en Patou", fragrance carried out for the passage in the year 2000 to 2000 specimens and... 2.000 Francs (300 €) the bottle !
Voyageur for Men |
Un Amour de Patou |
In 2002, launching of "Enjoy".
Since 1925, the Patou House has its own laboratory what enables him to have the total control of creation. The perfumer house creates the fragrances and directs all the technical operations personally preceding the birth by a perfume, thus ensuring himself of the best results in the greatest confidentiality.
Since 1980, Jean de Moüy, great nephew of Jean Patou manages this family company by perpetuating the spirit of Jean Patou, spirit interfered with tradition and innovation.
Since 2001, the brands of perfumes Jean Patou were acquired by the group Procter & Gamble. This activity is managed by P&G Prestige Beauty, Perfume division of Luxury of Procter & Gamble International Operations S.A. based in Geneva.
The house Jean Patou counts among the raw material large-scale consumers natural of the world, and for this reason maintains in "Grasse" (French town in the south of France) the fields pinks and jasmine.
Composition of Joy |
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