Jean Patou was a French fashion designer, also accredited with founding his namesake brand. Pataou was born in Normandy, France, into a family who owned a business of tanning and furs. Patou moved to Paris in 1910 with the intention of becoming a courtier. Shortly afterwards, in 1912 he opened his very own small-dressmaking salon, and called it Maison Parry. So, resplendent were his designs that his 1914 collection was entirely bought by just one American buyer. After suffering a few disruptions in business due to the ongoing World War I, during which he served as a military captain, he reopened his boutique, under his own name, thus bringing the brand Jean Patou into being.