N°5

A historic moment

In the early 1920s, culture and society was changing as the Western world embraced modernity. Economies boomed in countries like France, where the decade became known as the ‘années folles’ or ‘crazy years’ for the groundbreaking shifts that occurred in art, music and fashion. It was around this time that a young Gabrielle Chanel changed history with her first perfume: the iconic Chanel No. 5.

Humble beginnings

Gabrielle Chanel came from humble beginnings. Born in 1883, she was raised by her mother, a laundrywoman, as her father, a travelling salesman, was rarely at home. When she was 11, her mother passed away, so she was sent along with her two sisters to an orphanage at a nearby convent in Aubazine. Although the conditions were austere, it was here that Chanel learnt to sew – a skill that would come to have great significance in her future as, on leaving the convent for Moulins at the age of 18, it allowed her to earn money as a seamstress. Meanwhile, she performed in cabaret shows in the evening, and it was here that she acquired the nickname Coco, which stuck throughout the rest of her life.

Discovering the high life

Although short, her stage career introduced the young seamstress to the high life. She discovered a love for socialising and an ability to form relationships with respectable army officers and other elites. In 1908, she began a passionate affair with Captain Arthur ‘Boy’ Capel, a wealthy English polo player and shipping merchant who, over the next four years, set her up in a Parisian apartment and sponsored her hat store, Chanel Modes, on rue Cambon. From here, Coco built her brand, adding the first Chanel boutique in the quaint coastal town of Deauville and the Chanel Couture House in Biarritz, which was so successful it allowed her to pay Capel back his money and lay a strong foundation for expansion into other areas such as perfume.

An unprecedented ambition

By 1920, Coco had redefined women’s fashion by designing simple, practical clothes that were also comfortable and fashionable, effectively ending the era of the restrictive corset, which had dominated society for over 400 years. Her brand and renown had grown as a result, but now she wanted to do something almost unheard of for the fashion houses of the time: develop a perfume. It has been said by some that she was inspired to do so by the historic scent of Acqua della Regina (The Queen’s Water), which was commissioned for Catherine de’ Medici to celebrate her marriage to Henry, the future king of France, in 1533. However, this is just one of many myths and mysteries surrounding Coco’s life.

An auspicious connection

Although Coco had clear ideas of what she wanted in a fragrance, namely something that would embody modern, freethinking women like her – “un parfum de femme, à odeur de femme” (a woman's perfume with a woman's scent) – she was no chemist. Soon enough, though, one would enter her circle of influence through her latest love interest, Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich. Related to the former Tsars of Russia, he had been forced into exile, eventually ending up in France, where he met Coco Chanel. Like her, he was a free spirit with a love of the fast life, and the pair struck up a relationship which, though short-lived, afforded her the chance to meet famed French-Russian perfumer Ernest Beaux.

Ernest Beaux

Beaux had a very different upbringing to Coco. He was born in Moscow in 1881 and in 1902 trained as a perfumer at Russia’s premier perfume house, Alphonse Rallet & Co. Following a five-year apprenticeship at the company, which created fragrances for the Russian aristocracy, he established himself as a master perfumer with popular fragrances like the Bouquet de Napoleon. However, due to the troubled times of the 2010s, he, like Dmitri, had been driven out of Russia and ultimately made his way to Paris. To find work, Beaux sought connections through his fellow exiles in the Russian nobility, and it wasn’t long before Dmitri had introduced him to Coco Chanel.

Defying social norms

When Coco and Beaux first met, perfumes were either one-note florals made for the upper classes or intense musky scents worn by more provocative women. The visionary designer wanted to break down this social divide by combining both into a single fragrance that would appeal to the newly emancipated women of the era. In particular, Coco had in mind the so-called ‘flapper’, known in French as garçonne, who flouted social norms with unconventional bob haircuts and shortened, knee-length dresses. In line with this, she challenged Beaux to create a scent unlike any other: something “artificial”, with layers like the folds of her free-flowing dresses. It was to be fresh, long-lasting and heavy with florals such as jasmine without representing any one flower because, in Coco’s own words, a “woman should not smell like a flower, she should smell like a woman.”

Inspirations and experiments

Working out of a laboratory in the southern town of Grasse – the perfume capital of the world and still the source of many flowers used in Chanel fragrances today – Beaux drew on his time living in the Arctic outpost of Arkangelsk as a military officer during the First World War. While there, he had enjoyed the crisp, invigorating freshness of the cold, snow-covered landscape and the frigid air that blows off the Northern Dvina river as it flows towards the White Sea. Building on these experiences, he went about creating the perfume as if he were a composer of an elaborate symphony, later explaining that he saw the process as “like writing music”. His knowledge of scents was excellent, but he was also deeply aware of chemical formulas and the smells they would produce. In fact, he believed that chemists were the “future of perfumery” as it is they who would be able to “find new chemicals” to create novel aromas. This led him to use synthetic aldehydes to elevate the fragrance and evoke the exhilarating feeling of the Arctic air. Based on naturally occurring compounds, these man-made substances first appeared in a fragrance in 1905, but were not by any means widespread in perfume production at the time. Beaux himself had already experimented with aldehydic florals in his 1913 perfume ‘Le Bouquet de Catherine’, which acted as the base for his Chanel prototypes, but now he innovated by adding his own aldehyde in much larger quantities than before; an inspired choice which may have been accidental, with some suggesting that either he or a wayward assistant mistakenly poured a far higher proportion into the sample than intended. This unprecedented dose of nearly 1% aldehydes caused the fragrance to open with an effervescent rush while boosting the olfactory power of its other ingredients.

An abstract fragrance

In total, Beaux infused his perfume with over 80 different elements. Leading with notes of sweet neroli and tropical ylang-ylang amplified by the presence of chemical aldehydes for a clean, refreshing and citrusy burst upfront, it then settled into an alluring bouquet of florals, from fragrant jasmine and May rose to zesty orange blossom, delicate lily-of-the-valley and soft, powdery iris pallida. Gentle undertones of sandalwood permeated gradually through the base alongside the earthy smokiness of Haitian vetiver and the sweet, comforting warmth of Brazilian tonka bean, giving it lingering sensuality and depth as it matured on the skin. No one scent could be picked out from this complex blend, making it the world’s first abstract fragrance, and its convention-defying mystery captivated Coco when Beaux presented it to her in ten variations. She was immediately taken by the enigmatic fifth sample, describing it as “what I was waiting for. A perfume like nothing else. A woman’s perfume, with the scent of a woman” whose layers evoked “clean sheets and warm bodies”.

A lucky number and an unconventional name

The number 5 had long held significance for Coco Chanel. On her way to daily prayers at the convent, she had traversed paths arranged in circular patterns that repeated the number, and she came to see it as a symbol of luck. In fact, Beaux later wrote about this superstition in his 1946 book “Souvenirs d’un parfumeur” (Memories of a Perfumer), in which he recounted her thoughts on naming the perfume: “I’m presenting my collection of five dresses on May 5th, the fifth month of the year, we will therefore give it the number that it’s wearing, and the number 5 will bring it luck.” Even now, Chanel releases its collections on that same day in honour of Coco. Some have suggested that Beaux knew of her reverence for the number, and thus labelled his preferred sample with it, but this is yet another mystery surrounding the story. Her reasons aside, naming the perfume ‘Chanel No. 5’ was another unconventional move for the time. While other fragrances carried romantic titles like Mitsouko by Guerlain and Narcisse Noir by Caron, No. 5 was an unpretentious code that represented a more avant-garde concept; something subtle and elegant yet unemotional and almost austere, like the convent life of her childhood.

A simple vessel

Coco presented the perfume in an equally uncomplicated glass vial that reflected “pure transparency”. Once again, the inspirations behind this design choice are the subject of debate as, although she clearly wanted to go against the ostentatious crystal bottles produced by high-class glassmakers like Lalique and Baccarat, it is unclear exactly what her container was based on. Some suggest the whiskey decanter used by her beloved Capel, who had sadly died in a car crash in 1919, while others cite his Charvet toiletry bottles, or even just sterile laboratory flasks, which exemplified the type of “invisible bottle” she desired. No matter the origin, its humble appearance made it stand out amongst the showier bottles of the time.

A clever marketing ploy

With the official release date set for 5th May, 1921, Coco deployed her acute business instincts and devised a novel marketing strategy. Inviting a group of her most respected friends from amongst the French elite to a high-end restaurant on the Riviera, she gave them each a spritz of Chanel No. 5, allowing them to experience its enticing scent. Its abstract allure piqued the curiosity of passersby, which in turn prompted intriguing conversations around the fragrance as they tried to identify a single floral note out of its vast bouquet. Unable to do so, they instead uncovered layers of freshness and warmth melting into a rich sensuality that lingered seductively on the skin. They became enthralled by its extraordinary depth, generating tremendous excitement for the launch. On the day, Coco sprayed the perfume generously across the dressing rooms at her boutique on rue Cambon, then sat back and waited. It was an instant success, with scores of loyal patrons, favoured customers and elite friends turning up to get their hands on a bottle.

A growing operation

For the first few years, Coco kept the operation small, only selling the perfume out of her own stores to ensure a certain level of exclusivity. Meanwhile, she commissioned Beaux to compose more fragrances, such as No. 22, which took plenty of inspiration from the first Chanel perfume, with its top notes of tuberose leading into a tantalising, powdery blend of florals. Sensing a more substantial business opportunity, Coco began looking for partners who could help take her perfume line abroad. Once again, her amazing ability to build meaningful social connections came to the fore, leading her to a new relationship that would define the future of the company.

Les Parfums Chanel

The seeds of this partnership were sown in 1922, when prominent French businessman Théophile Bader introduced Coco to a man named Pierre Wertheimer at the Longchamps races. In 1917, Wertheimer and his brother Paul had become directors of Bourjois – a global company that produced theatrical make-up – and this intrigued Coco, who recognised that they had the expertise, connections and resources to grow her product internationally. For his part, Bader hoped to make his upmarket department store, Galeries Lafayette, the first to offer Chanel No. 5 to the general public rather than Coco’s distinguished clientele alone. A deal was struck in 1924, and the Société des Parfums Chanel was established, with the Wertheimers agreeing to take full control of the venture in return for a 70% share. Bader, meanwhile, received 20% for his role in bringing the two groups together, and Chanel got 10% but took no part in operating the business.

A new bottle

The Wertheimers’ wasted no time in appointing Ernest Beaux as chief perfume designer of Les Parfums Chanel – a role he held until his retirement 30 years later. As ‘le nez’ or ‘the nose’, he immediately set about refining Chanel No. 5, creating the Eau de Toilette interpretation to sit alongside the original Parfum. Meanwhile, distribution issues forced the Wertheimers to modify the bottle Coco had been using because the thin, rounded glass of its shoulders proved too fragile to withstand the rigours of international shipping. To overcome this obstacle, they introduced square, faceted corners, which made the container even more like Capel’s Charvet toiletry bottles, thus improving robustness for the long journey to America without compromising its modest aesthetic. Indeed, the Wertheimers were well aware of the understated power of its design, as revealed in their 1924 catalogue, which reads: “the perfection of the product forbids dressing it in the customary artifices. Why rely on the art of the glassmaker… Mademoiselle is proud to present simple bottles adorned only by… precious teardrops of perfume of incomparable quality, unique in composition, revealing the artistic personality of their creator." When considered alongside the unadorned, off-white box, with its clean, Bauhaus-style black borders, this gave the whole product the feeling of a ‘tabula rasa’, offering the wearer the space to conjure up their own story around the perfume and fill it with their own dreams and desires.

A distinctive stopper

Although only minor changes were made to the main body of the Chanel No. 5 bottle, the stopper was transformed from a straightforward plug into a distinctive masterpiece based on the Place Vendôme. This grand public square was built around the turn of the 18th century, and lies just a short distance from the Chanel boutique on rue Cambon. Its rectangular configuration and canted corners form an octagonal shape that, when translated into the Chanel No. 5 stopper, produces the luxurious appearance of an emerald-cut diamond, thus enhancing the product’s high-class appeal. In contrast to the bottle itself, which has remained virtually untouched since 1924, the stopper has undergone various modifications. For example, in the 1950s, its beveled edges became more pronounced, and it has increased in size on multiple occasions. In 1986, it was resized to present a more balanced look that better matches the scale of the overall bottle, creating the instantly recognisable Chanel No. 5 silhouette of today.

An understated marketing strategy

In these early years, minimal advertising was used in order to maintain an atmosphere of chic, upmarket allure around the enigmatic perfume. Coco continued to use her social circles to popularise it within the upper echelons by hosting dinner parties where she would spritz high-society women she called ‘tastemakers’ with No. 5, directing them to apply the scent wherever they wanted to be kissed. Bader also relied on word of mouth to drive sales of the Chanel collection at Galeries Lafayette, while prolific French caricaturist Sem published a famous drawing of Chanel No. 5 beside a liberated 1920s woman, which helped spread the word as the decade progressed. Across the Atlantic, the Wertheimers ran an advert in The New York Times for their newly acquired Chanel perfumes, which were available at luxury New York department store Bonwit Teller. This exclusive marketing strategy proved highly successful, and in 1934, with Chanel No. 5 now one of the best-selling perfumes in the world, the fragrance achieved even broader appeal with the release of the convenient and accessible pocket flacon, which was small enough to fit neatly into a woman’s purse.

A spellbinding portrait

This low-key approach continued until 1937, when Coco Chanel became the first face of the brand by appearing on the front cover of American fashion magazine Harper’s Bazaar. The image had been captured by renowned Hungarian photographer François Kollar, who was known for skilfully using light and texture to express the characteristics and qualities of his subjects while offering subtle hints as to their societal and occupational standing. Appropriately, his composition of Coco portrays the visionary designer in her luxurious suite at the Ritz in Paris, into which she had recently moved. The location provided her with both privacy and convenience, being situated a short distance from her workplace on rue Cambon, and she would reside there almost uninterrupted for the remainder of her life. In the picture, she stands graceful and composed in a black lace gown and exquisite jewellery, with her arm draped over the mantelpiece above a large fireplace. Flames roar beside her, and a tall mirror rises behind, while a bust of King Edward VIII adorns the mantelpiece off to her right and a vintage Chinese Coromandel screen from her extensive collection dominates her left. The sophisticated scene expertly depicted her elegance and style, and it became a great advert for Chanel No. 5. To enhance its charm, the brand added text describing the perfume as “like the soft music that underlies the playing of a love scene. It kindles the imagination; indelibly fixes the scene in the memories of the players.” Decades later, Harper’s Bazaar reused Kollar’s fascinating portrait on the front cover of the October 2023 collector’s edition, which celebrated the opening of the ‘Gabrielle Chanel: Fashion Manifesto’ exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.

A troubled relationship

This public representation of Coco signified the global success of Chanel No. 5 and the wider brand, but privately, her relationship with the Wertheimers had become strained. Convinced that their 1924 deal was unfair to her, she labelled Pierre a “bandit” and worked tirelessly throughout the 1930s and 40s to regain control of Parfums Chanel from him and his brother. In fact, during World War II, with the Wertheimers having fled to New York to avoid being persecuted as Jews and most of Chanel’s domestic operations closed, she claimed that the company had been “abandoned”, even inviting scrutiny from the German authorities. However, during their investigation, they discovered it to be registered in the name of a Christian businessman – French industrialist Félix Amiot – and took no further action. The Wertheimers had anticipated this eventuality, transferring the company to Amiot in 1940 with the agreement that it would be returned after the war. In fact, far from abandoning Parfums Chanel, they had appointed experienced international lawyer H. Gregory Thomas as a special European emissary to ensure the continued quality of their perfumes, giving him express orders to maintain the supply chains that brought superior jasmine and tuberose oils over from the fields in Grasse.

A new deal

Still unable to recover the company, Coco set about creating another version of the perfume. Calling it ‘Mademoiselle Chanel No. 5’, she claimed that it represented the authentic fragrance of the original, as opposed to the “inferior quality” of the Wertheimers’ product. It was on these grounds that Coco eventually brought a lawsuit against Parfums Chanel in 1946 as the acrimonious situation threatened to destroy the Chanel brand. The brothers were keen to avoid this, so in 1947, they renegotiated the original deal, leading to a new contract that agreed to pay Coco all of the profits owed to her from the war years along with a 2% share of all global sales going forwards. Although this percentage may sound small, the remarkable popularity of Chanel No. 5 made her one of the richest women in the world at the time. More importantly, though, the deal ended the feud between her and the Wertheimers, ensuring the future success of the Chanel brand, which remains in their family to this day.

An unexpected endorsement

The ending of this difficult period signified a fresh start for Chanel No. 5, one which would bring renewed attention to the famous perfume through an unexpected yet influential celebrity endorsement from Hollywood icon Marilyn Monroe. During the early 1950s, the young model grew as an actress, becoming a beloved on-screen presence known for her charm and style. In 1952, she appeared on the cover of popular American publication Life magazine and, in the accompanying interview, which was read by millions, she revealed the surprising fact that all she wears to bed at night is a few drops of Chanel No. 5. With her alluring look and winning personality, Monroe was the perfect match for the ultimate feminine fragrance, and, in a year when Hollywood columnist Florabel Muir labelled her the “it girl” of the moment, her words gave the perfume a huge promotional boost.

A long-running association

Marilyn Monroe’s association with Chanel No. 5 only deepened over the years. In 1955, renowned photojournalist Ed Feingersh was tasked with capturing candid photos of the star as she went about her daily routine. Over the course of a week in which she prepared to perform in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof at the Morosco Theatre on Broadway, he pictured Monroe with a Chanel No. 5 bottle in her hands several times. The most famous of these images, which depicts the charismatic actress dabbing the perfume seductively on her chest, was resurrected for a 2013 Chanel advert featuring some intriguing audio extracts from an archive interview that had only been uncovered by the brand one year earlier. The recording was of a lighthearted 1960 conversation between Monroe and Georges Belmont, of French women’s magazine Marie Claire, on the set of musical comedy Let’s Make Love, during which she clarified her answer to the “what do you wear to bed?” question from 1952. In another endearing moment of honesty, she asserted that it was “the truth” but that she didn’t want to say she sleeps “nude”. Prior to this advert, the links between Marilyn Monroe and No. 5 were unofficial, but her enduring affinity for the perfume had always been well-known, with Chanel benefitting from the connection throughout the decades.

“Every woman alive loves Chanel No. 5”

Realising the impact of Monroe’s endorsement, Chanel sought more formal partnerships, beginning with model and actress Suzy Parker, who they appointed as the face of the perfume in 1957. Just one year earlier, she had become the first model to make $100,000 a year, and Chanel took advantage of this formidable star power in a classy advert featuring Parker in an immaculate white dress and flanked by two refined gentlemen. The picture was captured by Parker’s favoured fashion photographer, Richard Avedon, who had an incredible ability to infuse movement into still images, while its catchy, rhyming slogan: “every woman alive loves Chanel No. 5”, would become widely used over the following decade.

‘The Package’

At almost four decades old, the perfume had reached such a high level of historical significance that New York’s Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) featured a Chanel No. 5 box from 1924 in its 1959 exhibition ‘The Package’. Hundreds of examples of “well-designed industrial and commercial packages” from the past were put on display in order that they could be re-examined to tackle contemporary difficulties surrounding package design. The No. 5 box was described as “a most sophisticated use of bold black lettering on a white ground”, with “thin black borders” that deliver elegance “through understatement” – words that echoed Coco’s original vision and acted as a valuable example for future designers.

Rejuvenating Chanel No. 5

Going into the 1960s, Chanel No. 5 was a hugely popular perfume, but it was becoming a victim of its own success. Overexposure saw it stocked in discount drugstores, thus diluting its luxurious allure, while its advertising appealed to an older, more conservative demographic rather than the vibrant, outgoing youth. In need of fresh impetus, the brand appointed Jacques Helleu as its artistic director in 1965, who began to turn things around. Building on Coco’s own uncomplicated approach, he rejuvenated Chanel No. 5 by working on the belief that advertising needed to be constantly revitalised without becoming overly elaborate to ensure long-term success. One of his key acts was to allow directors the freedom to express themselves, which led to a series of captivating adverts starring youthful celebrities. For example, in 1966, an image of up-and-coming fashion model Ali McGraw, who was in her late twenties at the time, was used to promote the Chanel No. 5 bath range, attracting a younger audience back to the perfume. Five years later, English supermodel and icon of 1960s London, Jean Shrimpton, was superimposed onto a bottle of Chanel No. 5, her long hair flowing around her in a symbol of the free-spirited nature of the 1970s and a nod to the liberated women the fragrance was originally created for.

An inspired partnership

These women helped Helleu put Chanel back on track, but it was an inspired partnership with refined French actress Catherine Deneuve that really set the brand apart. Beginning in 1969, Deneuve became an ambassador for Chanel, appearing in multiple adverts including a series of simple images that relied on her timeless, aristocratic beauty, merely featuring her face, the bottle and the words “Catherine Deneuve for Chanel”. She also starred in some of the earliest television commercials by a perfume company, including fashion photographer Helmut Newton’s understated 1973 film, ‘Whispered’.

The end of a remarkable life

Gabrielle Chanel passed away in 1971 at the age of 87. She had continued working right up until her death, and her monumental impact on fashion and the wider culture was recognised at her funeral, which was attended by an array of icons from across the creative industries. There was glamorous German-American actress Marlene Dietrich, socialite Marie-Hélène de Rothschild and surrealist Spanish artist Salvador Dalí, who had produced a series of paintings on a visit to Coco’s ‘La Pausa’ residence in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin on the Mediterranean coast in 1938. Dancers Serge Lifar and Jacques Chazot, who had become a close companion to the designer, were also there, as was ‘The King of Fashion’ Cristóbal Balenciaga, who Coco had described as “the only couturier in the truest sense of the word”, and Yves Saint Laurent, who, alongside Chanel, is considered one of the greatest French fashion designers of all time.

An acclaimed director and a new representative

In the years following Coco’s death, Deneuve deployed her French style and charm to help renew Chanel No. 5’s reputation as a symbol of elegance, sophistication and feminine luxury. Sales soared around the world, particularly in the United States, where Alain Wertheimer, who took over as co-owner in 1974, removed the perfume from low-end retailers and restricted it to luxury stores, thus creating scarcity and re-instilling it with a sense of high-end exclusivity. Nevertheless, in line with Helleu’s belief in repeated rejuvenation, there was still work to be done, so he recruited English filmmaker Ridley Scott. Beginning in 1979, the acclaimed director created four adverts portraying scenes of beautiful women reclining by sun-drenched pools, relaxing on private yachts and driving luxury cars, which emphasised the exclusivity and timeless glamour of the evergreen perfume. The last two featured Deneuve’s successor, graceful French actress Carole Bouquet, who would act as the face of the perfume from 1986 until 1997.

A captivating work of art

In 1985, the cultural significance of Chanel No. 5 was highlighted once again, this time by American artist and filmmaker Andy Warhol. Perhaps the world’s most well-known pop artist, Warhol created distinctive artworks featuring iconic objects from popular and consumer culture. For his ‘Ads’ series, he took a nostalgic look back at powerful adverts from the past fifty years, immortalising them in a set of vibrant screen prints. Alongside global brands such as Apple and Paramount, Warhol depicted the Chanel No. 5 perfume, taking a minimal 1965 advert and transforming it into a piece of fine art with the addition of bold colours. Each visually stunning print celebrates the glamour of the luxurious fragrance while also hinting at the seductive nature of colour and inviting the observer to contemplate wider issues of consumerism and the divide between elite and mass culture. In 1997, Chanel bought the rights to these captivating artworks, deploying them in an advertising campaign that harnessed the combination of their flamboyant colours and the elegant minimalism of Coco’s groundbreaking bottle to represent the timeless quality of the perfume.

Tweaking the formula

One year after Warhol created these magnificent pieces, Chanel’s chief perfumer, Jacques Polge, released the first new interpretation of Chanel No. 5 in six decades. His Eau de Parfum preserved the rich sensuality of Beaux’s original while increasing the presence of sandalwood to produce a distinct, woody boldness and give it a more contemporary edge. Around this time, the brand was also in the process of removing synthetic nitro-musks, such as the fixative musk ketone, from the No. 5 range due to growing safety concerns within the industry. These chemicals, which had been used in perfume for decades, contributed to the rich, powdery and long-lasting trail of the original formulation by uniting its floral and aldehydic ingredients, but it was discovered that they tend to persist in the environment and can potentially cause serious health issues. Today, their effects are reproduced by safer polycyclic musks, representing one of the few minor tweaks that have been made to Chanel No. 5 over the years. The other significant adjustment came in the late 90s, when there was increased awareness of the cruel practices used to obtain natural civet. As well as acting as a fixative, civet adds sweet, aromatic base notes that deepen the warmth and sensuality of the perfume. Fortunately, its properties are easily replicated using a synthetic version known as civetone, which has appeared in the perfume since 1998.

Investing in the future

Although the general constituents that make up Chanel No. 5 are widely known, its exact formula is a long-guarded secret. This helps maintain an air of mystery around the perfume that, alongside its quality, is a key reason for its luxurious appeal. To ensure that standards remain high, Chanel uses the very best ingredients from around the world, some of which require a special set of conditions to produce. At Grasse in southern France, for example, the properties of the Provençal soil combine with the warm climate and the cooling Mediterranean breeze to provide the ideal circumstances for growing many of the flowers that go into No. 5, including geranium, tuberose, iris, jasmine and May rose. Not just anyone can cultivate these plants, though, as a certain level of expertise is required; expertise which has been fostered within the Mul family for centuries. Through multiple generations, they have produced high-grade flowers for perfumes like Chanel No. 5 using traditional methods such as meticulous hand-picking alongside more modern techniques such as playing melodious piano music across the fields to protect their crops from fungi. In 1987, the Muls entered into an exclusive partnership with Chanel that saw twenty hectares dedicated solely to the brand. The agreement has since expanded to incorporate an even larger area, with around 90% of the region’s jasmine now going directly to Chanel, thus ensuring the long-term quality and success of the No. 5 perfume.

Enchanting adverts

With the future of Chanel No. 5 secured, the brand selected Canadian actress and fashion model Estella Warren to succeed Bouquet as the next representative of their top-selling fragrance. She appeared in bold print adverts produced by French advertising director and photographer Jean-Paul Goude with the ‘No. 5’ element front and centre. One particularly striking image leaned into Warren’s past as a synchronised swimmer, presenting her upside down as if posing artistically in water and wearing a long, flowing red dress, with an unstoppered bottle of Chanel No. 5 held carefree in her hand, the perfume cascading out. Like Bouquet before her, she also appeared in a stylish television advert, this one directed by influential French filmmaker Luc Besson. Fresh from co-writing and directing his award-winning science fiction movie, ‘The Fifth Element’, Besson was at the height of his powers, and his Chanel advert reflects this. Called ‘Le Loup’ (The Wolf), its theme is based on the French fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood, with Warren playing a glamorous, sultry version of the titular character that sees her breaking into a No. 5 vault in modern-day Paris and stealing a bottle from the rows of perfume concealed within. As she opens the doors to leave, revealing the Eiffel Tower outside, a guard wolf follows her, but she simply turns and gestures to keep quiet before putting her hood up and leaving as the wolf howls into the night. This fantastical advert represented a change in style from Scott’s real-world films while still presenting the perfume as an exclusive, luxurious and almost unattainable product, thus perpetuating its enchanting allure.

A lavish commercial

Chanel’s penchant for linking high-profile directors and glamorous celebrities continued into the 2000s with the enlistment of two Australians: exuberant director Baz Luhrmann and superstar actress Nicole Kidman. The pair had just worked together on Luhrmann’s award-winning musical ‘Moulin Rouge’, and Kidman was becoming one of the most sought-after women in Hollywood, making them a powerful combination. Together, they created an advert entitled ‘No. 5 the Film’ in which Kidman stars opposite Brazilian actor Rodrigo Santoro, with Chanel’s creative director, illustrious fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld, designing the costumes and even cameoing in the three-minute movie. Its enormous budget of $33 million made Kidman a record-breaker for the amount of money she received per minute, but the investment was worth it as her undeniable movie-star glamour and elegance perfectly encapsulated the iconic beauty and luxurious lifestyle associated with Chanel No. 5. The lavish commercial was seen by millions around the world, being shown in cinemas and on television screens between 2004 and 2008, long after Kidman had ended her tenure as the perfume’s ambassador in 2005.

A radiant interpretation

Luhrmann’s extravagant advert ensured that the fragrance was at peak popularity for the release of another No. 5 interpretation: Eau Première. Crafted by Chanel ‘nose’ Jacques Polge in 2008, it produces a lighter, more radiant trail than the Parfum, with greater attention given to ylang-ylang for a hint of tropical sweetness alongside its smooth, warming florals and uplifting aldehydes. Polge’s second reimagining of Beaux’s Chanel No. 5, and the fourth overall, is suited to liberal daily use, offering a soft, airy olfactory experience that is less intense than its predecessors and gives the wearer a bright, uplifting glow. This modern take on the classic scent broadened the scope of No. 5, helping it maintain a strong following amongst younger audiences.

The Chanel Muse

In 2009, as Polge’s newest fragrance captivated the global youth, French actress and fashionista Audrey Tautou, who some in the media refer to as ‘The Chanel Muse’, became the latest face of Chanel No. 5. To coincide with the release of Anne Fontaine’s ‘Coco Before Chanel’, in which Tautou plays the enigmatic fashion designer, the brand launched a classy advertisement called ‘Train de Nuit’. Its director, French screenwriter Jean-Pierre Jeunet, had already worked with Tautou on two Academy-Award-nominated movies – 2001’s hugely successful comedy ‘Amélie’ and the 2004 romantic war drama ‘A Very Long Engagement’ – making him the ideal person to capture her quiet charisma and sophistication. His advert stars Tautou as a woman experiencing a fleeting romantic encounter while travelling on the night train to Istanbul and encapsulates the mysterious, almost hypnotic effects of the perfume as it draws the two strangers together on their journey through the beautiful European landscape. Unlike the bold, ostentatious films of Scott and Luhrmann, Jeunet’s movie expresses a more modest, understated elegance that hints at the perfume’s heritage by evoking the glamorous style and refinement of the 1920s.

A surprising decision

In 2012, Chanel made an unexpected move, recruiting Brad Pitt to be the next face of No. 5. The decision was initiated by Karl Lagerfeld, who felt that using a man to advertise the most feminine of perfumes was entirely natural as it is men that experience and are seduced by its hypnotic scent. In a simple black-and-white commercial directed by English filmmaker Joe Wright, Pitt delivers a philosophical monologue that plays into the mysterious draw of the fragrance and the intoxicating effect of its trail. It was completely different in tone to the brand’s earlier No. 5 adverts, and, despite splitting audiences, drew intrigue with its alternative approach.

Embodying the modern woman

This male interlude was brief as Chanel chose Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bündchen for its next big-budget advert in 2014. A follow-up to Baz Luhrmann’s 2004 film, ‘The One That I Want’ saw the Australian auteur reprise his role as director, with Bündchen starring opposite Dutch actor Michiel Huisman as a confident, independent mother. She embodies the strength and refinement of the modern woman who has it all, skilfully balancing the challenges of motherhood, romance and career. Alongside this, the chic model was photographed reclining inside the lower curve of a flashy number 5 sculpture and adorned with two other symbols of the Chanel brand: a black dress and diamond jewellery. The glamorous image captured her self-assured composure and effortless style, making it a memorable symbol of the feminine perfume and the perfect accompaniment to Luhrmann’s empowering advert.

Global exhibitions

Thanks to this string of high-end advertising campaigns, Chanel No. 5 remained one of the most popular perfumes as it approached its 100th anniversary. The brand continued to honour its lasting legacy with limited editions and collectibles, which were always snatched up by avid fans, while exhibitions were organised in locations around the world, attracting millions of visitors. Following up on the success of Jean-Louis Froment’s ‘Culture Chanel “L’Art Comme Univers”’ exhibition of 2007, which featured Chanel No. 5 as its core theme during its run in Paris between periods in Moscow, Beijing, Seoul and Venice, the brand launched the ‘Mademoiselle Privé’ exhibition at London’s Saatchi Gallery in 2015. It gave guests a deeper insight into the history of House Chanel, focusing on three areas: Haute Couture, High Jewellery and the No. 5 perfume, thus highlighting the fragrance’s continued importance to the French company.

Chanel No. 5 L’Eau

In 2016, while the ‘Mademoiselle Privé’ exhibition brought renewed exposure to Chanel No. 5 as it travelled the globe, a fifth interpretation was created. Simply known as L’Eau, it was designed by Olivier Polge, who had succeeded his father as chief perfumer the year before. As a teenager, Olivier wanted to become a classical pianist, but having apprenticed in the perfume business under his father, he found that designing a fragrance was just like composing a musical score, each with its own specific notes and chords. This led him to embark on a career in perfumery, which culminated in him taking over from his father. At the time, Olivier stated his intention to preserve the brand’s “unique olfactory heritage” while also innovating, so when it came to crafting a new No. 5, he was keen to honour the original but avoid nostalgia, considering what “the No. 5 of tomorrow” would smell like rather than trying to recreate something from the past. On its release, Chanel described L’Eau as a “modern, fresh and vibrant embodiment of the now and forever scent”, while Polge himself stated that it “pays homage to the original but feels more youthful”, a sentiment in line with Karl Lagerfeld’s ongoing desire to appeal to a younger market. Accordingly, French-American actress Lily-Rose Depp was hired to be the face of the advertising campaign. Just 17 years old at the time, she had already followed in the footsteps of her mother, Vanessa Paradis, by becoming a Chanel ambassador in 2015, but as the representative of a new No. 5 scent, she became even more central to the brand’s success, particularly amongst women in her age bracket.

A contemporary tale

Chanel soon set to work producing an advert with the young Depp, selecting Swedish director Johan Renck to oversee the project. Renck is renowned for his work on high-level music videos and television series, influences that clearly come through in his vibrant No. 5 film. It presents Lily-Rose in various guises, from seductive and elegant to brash and rebellious, thus representing the multifaceted nature of contemporary women. Written words flash up over the top, describing the clashing elements of her character and placing the fragrance as “the scent of all paradoxes”. The pairings include “composed and excessive”, “artist and muse”, and “vulnerable and invincible”, while the campaign’s slogan: “you know me and you don’t”, concludes the dynamic movie with another contrastive idea that a woman can be at once known and unknown to her romantic partner. Through working with Lily-Rose Depp, Chanel stated a desire to rewrite “the myth with audacity to transform a heritage into a contemporary tale”, signifying an exciting new direction for the future of the brand.

A dream-like portrayal

After Lily-Rose, Chanel turned to Oscar-winning French actress Marion Cotillard, who carried the No. 5 name successfully into the next decade. Renck returned as director for Cotillard’s first advert, depicting her looking wistfully up at the moon and fantasising about a magical scene in which she performs a joyful yet sensual dance with ballerino Jérémie Bélingard – accomplished étoile of the Paris Opera Ballet – on its gold-dust-sprinkled surface. As well as perpetuating the luxurious feel of No. 5, the classy, dream-like ‘Celestial Dance’ advert accentuated the exuberant nature of the romantic encounter and highlighted the perfume’s ability to foster harmonious relationships.

100 years of Chanel No. 5

In 2021, Chanel No. 5 reached a monumental landmark: its 100th anniversary. The brand celebrated by launching a collection of high-end jewellery created by the head of their Fine Jewellery Creation Studio, Patrice Leguéreau. Dedicated entirely to Chanel No. 5, its pieces tell the story of the perfume, taking inspiration from all of its aspects, including the fragrance, bottle and stopper, and even Coco’s lucky number 5. At the centre of the ‘Collection No. 5’ is a dazzling necklace specifically designed to represent the iconic bottle, with a custom diamond of 55.55 carats cut into the octagonal shape of its stopper at the centre. With this exquisite commemorative piece, which was not available for purchase, Leguéreau hoped to “illustrate, without concession, the power, strength, femininity, and incredible richness of the fragrance.”

Looking to the future

Having honoured its past, Chanel now looked to the future as Cotillard became the voice of Coco Chanel for an immersive virtual reality installation presented at the Venice Film Festival in 2022. Directed by pioneering French filmmaker Mathias Chelebourg, it offered participants the chance to experience the history of Chanel No. 5 in a completely new way, harnessing multi-sensory elements to put them in the shoes of Ernest Beaux as he crafted the distinctive scent. Following this, the highly regarded actress remained the perfume’s ambassador until 2024, during which time she elevated its already stellar image with authentic femininity, playful sensuality and a certain French ‘je ne sais quoi’.

A modern ambassador

Cotillard was replaced as Chanel No. 5 representative by superstar actress Margot Robbie. She began her tenure in the ‘See You At Five’ advert, appearing opposite fellow Australian actor Jacob Elordi, who had just been cast alongside her in an upcoming adaptation of Wuthering Heights. Directed by Italian filmmaker Luca Guadagnino, whose movies are known for their emotional complexity and sumptuous visuals, the commercial sees the pair trying to connect but eventually missing each other, with Robbie eventually deciding to embrace her independence and follow her own path. As she drives to meet Elordi, Robbie wears a red tweed mini skirt and jacket that nods to Carole Bouquet’s outfit from the iconic 1986 Ridley Scott advert. At the end, she dives into the ocean in a powerful demonstration of her character’s liberty and adventurous spirit. This represents both Robbie’s interpretation of the fragrance, which she views through a lens of modern femininity, and Chanel’s contemporary narrative of female empowerment, personal desire and the freedom to define one’s own identity, values that Coco had embodied throughout her lifetime.

The groundbreaking Chanel No. 5

When Coco envisioned her signature Chanel No. 5 perfume, she imagined something empowering, luxurious and alluring, but she could hardly have expected that Ernest Beaux’s creation would have such a profound impact. His groundbreaking formulation encapsulated feminine elegance, style and sensuality, giving rise to the concept of an abstract fragrance. It revolutionised the way people experienced perfume by offering a complex trail that helped liberate women from the restrictive bonds of social norms through self-expression. In the years and decades since, Chanel has repeatedly renewed the image of No. 5 through partnerships with the most glamorous celebrities and avant-garde creatives of each era, keeping it fresh and maintaining its position as one of the best-selling fragrances in the world despite the formula remaining virtually unchanged. Timeless and mysterious, its scent transcends time and history, conveying the story of the modern woman through every generation by translating the emotions of its age into an olfactory experience like no other while it continues to dominate global culture as a luxurious symbol of pure femininity.