JEAN PATOU, A RUSSIAN-STYLE DRESS, EARLY 1920s

Jean Patou was very much influenced by the costume and embroideries of Eastern Europe, as were many of his contemporaries. The rich textile heritage was brought to the attention of fashionable Paris by the influx of Russian refugees, many of whom found employment in the fashion industry. His gowns of the 1920s show debts to Greek, Russian and Balkan traditions.