Jean Patou was born in Normandy, France, in 1880. Patou's father was a leading tanner (leather maker) and his uncle owned a fur business which Patou joined in 1907. In 1912 Patou opened Maison Parry, a small dressmaking salon in Paris, and sold his entire 1914 collection to one American buyer. His career was then interrupted by the war, which he spent as an army captain. In 1919, he reopened his salon, this time under his own name. His collections were successful from the start. He designed for actresses such as Constance Bennett, Mary Pickford and Louise Brooks, but his finest achievements were in the field of sports wear, which always occupied an important position in his collections. In 1967 Jean Kerleo, the legendary perfumer, joined the house and since then has created all the great perfumes for which Jean Patou is famed, using only the finest ingredients.