Charles Jourdan (1883 - February 12, 1976 in Paris) was a French fashion designer born in the same year as Coco Chanel, and 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 Drome 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 a 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.
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.
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