The product of a unique heritage and ancestral expertise, the K.Jacques sandal has crossed through different eras without every renouncing its authenticity. A tradition that’s perpetuated from generation to generation in our French Riviera workshop just a stone’s throw from Saint-Tropez Port. The epitome of French elegance, since 1933 K.Jacques has been passionate about making feet look beautiful every day.
First steps
The brand’s story is, above all, one of familyThe first chapter starts in 1933 and is set in the sunny town of Saint-Tropez. Jacques and Elise Keklikian, a couple who are Armenian refugees, open a modest store/workshop at 39 rue Allard, Saint-Tropez. When they first started out, everything they did was self-taught: Jacques crafted the shoes and Elise sold them. Jacques designed styles to fit friends and clients, then cut out the soles and assembled them to create the famous Tropezienne sandal. It was a custom service that aligned quality and simplicity. The brand quickly made a name for itself with celebrity clients. K.Jacques sandals were soon found on the feet of the artists, actresses, filmmakers and painters who had made Saint-Tropez their playground. Jacques and Elise laid the foundations for a great adventure: Maison K.Jacques.
The family grew with a daughter Liliane and two sons, Georges and Bernard, who as soon as they became of age added their knowledge and a modern touch. They are still in charge of Maison K.Jacques today, along with their children. Just as we hand a first and last name down to our children, Jacques gave his to the company. In 1935 he designed the K.Jacques brand, taking his first name and the initial of his last name. Over the years, Elise and Liliane welcomed customers and named each sandal that found its place and story in the K.Jacques catalogue: Homère, Picon, Epicure, Gandhi, Bikini… Georges worked alongside his father, developing his creativity and Bernard took care of managing and growing the company. K.Jacques is more than just a name, it’s an elegant world of creativity and well-being, brought to life by the Keklikians. 39, rue Allard; 28, rue Seillon; Villa “Lou Niou” (Nest in Provençal dialect), and since 2009, Route des Plages, a new address for the workshop and office, not in the place of the old one, but to strengthen K.Jacques’ presence and savoir-faire. Jacques passed in 1989, then Elise in 1997, leaving this cultural, artisanal heritage to the country that welcomed them and the now legendary town. When their parents died, the siblings took up the mantel and continued working with the same philosophy of durability and quality craftsmanship.
WHAT IS A
K.JACQUES?
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The K.Jacques tradition
The sole, on which the weight of the body rests, must be made of very thick leather. The K.Jacques house takes care of the thickness of this leather. Over the years, K.Jacques has forged a bond of authenticity with its supplier for the quality and exclusive color of the K.Jacques sole. The sole is double, interior (called first) and exterior (called wear): the sole in contact with the foot is sewn with linen thread imported from Ireland - itself selected for its robustness and structural stability - , then “K.JACQUES Saint-Tropez” is hot stamped, the outsole is engraved with “created and manufactured in St-Tropez”.
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The story of a place, a family and a product
Saint-Tropez, an inspiration...It was in 1933 that Jacques Keklikian arrived by chance in the then picturesque little fishing port that was Saint-Tropez. Under the village sun, strong leather sandals were the footwear of choice. Not long after, the charming town started to attract the country’s greatest artists: Picasso, Cocteau and even Brigitte Bardot and Romy Schneider...They slipped on their K.Jacques as a symbol of sunny days and a gentler way of living. Behind the brand is a real love for the town, tradition and excellence.
K.Jacques today...
K.Jacques is a long family history that has stood the test of time. A passion for leather and passing down skills. Today, Bernard, the founders’ son, is Managing Director, while the children, grandchildren and cousins continue the work that was started almost 90 years ago with the same desire to preserve the original spirit intact.
We might keep up with fashion but we always come back to basics, simple authentic clothing and accessories that people want to keep and wear time and again. K.JACQUES means sleek, practical styles and gorgeous materials.
Le Figaro
LES COLLABORATIONS ARTISTIQUES DE K.JACQUES
Dans les années 1990-2000, le savoir-faire de K.Jacques a été associé à des couturiers et créateurs des plus classiques au plus branchés pour des collaborations artistiques : Karl Lagerfield, Corinne Cobson, Atsuro Tayama, Kenzo, Mario Chanet, Chacok, Kookaï, Courrèges, Stephanel, Balenciaga, Dorothée Bis, Plein Sud, Lolita Lempika, Helmut Lang, Georges Rech, Givenchy, Marion Lesage, Morgan, Doby Broda, Jérome Lhuillier, Nathalie Garçon, Joseph, Paule Ka, Daniel Hechter, Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, Ken Okada, Catherine Malendrino, Missoni, Paco Rabanne , Sophie D’Hoore, Cynthia Steffe,Isabelle Marant. Aujourd’hui, K.Jacques continue ce partenariat en réalisant des créations exclusives en « co-branding » (co-signature). La rencontre d’artistes, de l’esprit et du manuel font naître des modèles de sandales exclusives et originales. Les co-branding « by K.Jacques » ont été réalisés notamment pour Duro Olowu, Golden Goose, Vanessa Bruno, James Perse Los Angeles et Opening Ceremony.