Patou

Patou is a French surname and brand name most closely associated with the fashion designer Jean Patou and the couture house he founded in Paris. The name has become prominent in the history of 20th-century fashion and fragrance.

Jean Patou (1880–1936) established the fashion house Patou in 1919. Based in Paris, the house became known for its modern and elegant designs, including sportswear-inspired silhouettes that helped define couture for the interwar era. Patou expanded beyond clothing to develop a line of fragrances, aligning the brand with the rising prestige of luxury perfume in the early 20th century.

The Patou fashion house produced numerous collections and cultivated a reputation for refined materials, craftsmanship, and accessibly chic tailoring. In fragrance, the house introduced perfumes beginning in the 1920s, with Joy, launched in 1930, standing out as one of its most enduring and famous creations. Over the decades, ownership and licensing arrangements changed, and the Patou name has been revived and commercialized by different owners in the fashion and fragrance markets.

Today, the Patou name remains associated with luxury fashion and fragrance, reflecting its historic influence in Parisian haute couture and the perfumery tradition. The brand’s legacy is most closely tied to its founder, Jean Patou, and to the iconic Joy perfume that helped cement the house’s place in fashion and fragrance history.