Jean Patou was born in Normandy, France, in 1880. In 1912 Patou opened Maison Parry, a small dressmaking salon in Paris and sold out his entire 1914 line to a 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. His finest achievements were in the field of sports wear, which always occupied an important position in his collections. In the early 20's, his inspired work in the sportswear field gave fashion another dimension. He dressed tennis star Suzanne Lenglen in styles that she wore both on and off the tennis court. Also in 1925 he introduced his first perfumes Amour-Amour, for brunettes, Que Sais-je for blondes, and Adieu Sagesse for redheads. In 1929, he added Le Sien, a sports fragrance, and in 1931 his most famous Joy, still one of the great perfumes of the world. He later launched "1000" , Sublime and Eau de Patou. His perfume JOY is always advertised as "The most costly perfume in the world". Patou met an early death in 1936, at the age of 56.