Charles Jourdan
Charles Jourdan (1883–12 February 1976) was a French fashion designer best known for women’s shoes, starting in 1919. After World War I he opened a shop in Romans-sur-Isère, and by 1921 he had moved to a factory with more than 30 workers. In the 1930s he was one of the first to advertise in top fashion magazines, helping his brand become associated with couture. In 1947 his three sons joined the company, and in 1950 they began selling designer shoes in the United Kingdom. Diana, Princess of Wales, became a regular customer.
Jourdan opened his first Paris boutique in 1957, though the headquarters stayed in Romans. In 1959 the company won a license to design and manufacture shoes under the Christian Dior name, and later also produced designs for Pierre Cardin. Jourdan and his sons were known for using new materials and bold advertising, including campaigns with photographer Guy Bourdin in the 1960s and early 1970s. In 1975 they added ready-to-wear clothing and handbags, though the business remained best known for shoes.
Charles Jourdan died in Paris in 1976. Roland Jourdan led the design work in the 1970s as the brand expanded across Europe and into North America; he retired in 1981, after which the look became more conservative. Imelda Marcos’s 1986 shoe display brought extra publicity. For the 75th anniversary in 1996, the brand released a Stiletto perfume with an Eiffel Tower-shaped bottle. The flagship store moved to Paris’s Champs-Élysées in 1999 but closed soon after due to financial troubles. The company filed for bankruptcy in 2002, and the Jourdan family sold its stake to the Luxembourg fund Lux Diversity. Patrick Cox led the brand briefly in 2003, followed by Josephus Thimister in 2005, but the company later declined.
Jourdan was influential in pushing the use of new materials in women’s shoes after World War II, shaping fashion for years to come.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 06:27 (CET).