De la baïonnette aux ciseaux : Jean Patou dans la Grande Guerre

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From Bayonet to Scissors: Jean Patou in the Great War

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​Jean Patou was twenty-seven years old when he established his own couture house on the 1st of June 1914. The first fashion show was scheduled for early August 1914, but did not take place as the war was declared on the 1st of August. Jean Patou was called to arms and sent to the front. His military career had highs and lows: while he was first demoted from his rank at the Western front, he was later raised to the rank of a captain at the Oriental front in Greece. Throughout the war, Patou continued to act as both a general manager and artistic director of his couture business, which remained open at least until 1916. This talk provides a detailed analysis of the biography of the founder and the business history of his fashion house during First World War.

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Talk given at the international conference 'Fashion, Dress and Society during World War I,' together with Emmanuelle Polle, at the Institut Francais de la Mode, Paris.

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December 12-13, 2014.