Charles Jourdan
| Charles Jourdan | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1883 |
| Died | 12 February 1976 (aged 92–93) |
| Nationality | French |
Charles Jourdan (1883 – 12 February 1976) was a French fashion designer known best for his designs of women's shoes starting in 1919. His name reached its greatest notoriety in the years since his death under the leadership of his sons, first with an emphasis on the use of innovative materials and later for more conservative designs. After 2000 the company went into decline and was sold to investment bankers.
Originally trained as a shoemaker, after World War I Jourdan opened a shoe shop in Romans in the Drôme region of France, the center of France's shoe industry. His lines of women's shoes prospered, and this became the focus of his career. After only two years Jourdan moved his shoe company into a factory on Boulevard Voltaire in 1921 and employed over 30 people in Romans.
In the 1930s, Jourdan was the first shoe designer to place advertisements in the high-end fashion magazines, which helped to identify his name as an haute couture house.
In 1947 his three sons Rene, Charles and Roland joined the company, and in 1950 they expanded beyond France and began selling designer shoes in the United Kingdom. One regular customer was none other than Lady Diana Spencer who, eventually became Princess of Wales.
Jourdan and his sons opened his first boutique in Paris in 1957, although the company headquarters remained in Romans. They were granted a license to design and manufacture shoes under the Christian Dior brand in 1959 and in more recent years have also created designs under the Pierre Cardin label.
The company has for many years focused on being viewed as setting trends and innovating in fashion design, and it can be debated whether Herbert Levine and Beth Levine inspired this innovation or learned from it; both may be true. Jourdan and the Levines are arguably the most innovative designers to use new materials in women's shoes in the period since World War II. In the 1960s and early 1970s Jourdan used its magazine advertising campaigns to advance its avant-garde image by using imagery from the surrealist photographer Guy Bourdin. In 1975 ready-to-wear clothing and handbags were added to the Jourdan line, although the company has remained best known for its shoes.
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