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Jean Patou is now Patou!

Patou - Guillaume Henry

Guillaume Henry

Born in France in 1978, Guillaume Henry studied at the Beaux-Arts of Troyes before pursuing fashion at the Duperré School of Design, Fashion and Creation followed by IFM, the Institut Français de la Mode. After graduating, he quickly made a name for himself at Givenchy under the direction of Julien MacDonald and Riccardo Tisci, then at Paule Ka for 3 years.

In 2009, at the age of 30, Henry took over the artistic direction of Carven, where he revived the heritage house’s ready-to-wear with a fresh and modern take on feminine dressing. With a breath of new life, Carven became a must-have brand and saw commercial success from its very first collection.

In 2015, Henry was appointed as Creative Director of Nina Ricci, where he conceived a wardrobe that was impressively delicate and sophisticated while remaining current and youthful.

In September 2018, LVMH named Henry Artistic Director of the Jean Patou house, now Patou. He presented his first collection during Paris Fashion Week in September 2019.

Guillaume Henry’s vision of Patou

Patou - Guillaume Henry’s vision of Patou

Guillaume Henry’s vision of Patou

Guillaume Henry, Patou's artistic director, has opened a brand new chapter in the history of the house founded by Jean Patou.

Developing a feminine ready-to-wear collection inspired by couture that’s both delicate and accessible, joyful and refined, Patou continues to dress real women, friends, collaborators, muses – women he meets and the ones who inspire him. For them, Patou should be as it has always been, easy to wear, hard to forget!

Guillaume Henry creates clothes that are simple but not simple-minded. Like Jean Patou, inventor of accessories and creator of perfumes, Guillaume Henry conceives fashion as an art of living, always in movement. "Elegance, beauty, fine arts and fantasy, in these four words you'll find my collections." said Jean Patou. Guillaume Henry is the heir to this philosophy.

A cinema and photography fan at heart and a devotee of films by Blier, Téchiné, Rivette or Sautet, Guillaume Henry tells stories through clothes. His creations reflect this taste for "the extraordinary in the ordinary", "these little nothings" that make reality sublime.

In love with the French capital, one of his sources of inspiration, Guillaume Henry took over as head of the Patou house after a meeting with Sidney Toledano, president of the LVMH fashion group, at Carette on the Place du Trocadéro. A few months later, Henry conceived a pastry in collaboration with the head of the famous tearoom as a wink to this decisive encounter. A Parisian for more than 20 years, Guillaume Henry has chosen to set up the headquarters of the Patou house and its workshops between the two banks, on the Ile de la Cité, at the foot of Notre-Dame. He has made this exceptional place in the heart of the Parisian crossroads a dream headquarters and creative home for Patou.

 

Photo credit: Kira Bunse