Sunday, February 7, 2016

The History of No.5 Chanel and Coco Mademoiselle


Chanel No.5 was the first perfume launched by Coco Chanel. The formula for the fragrance was compounded by Russian-French chemist and perfumer Ernest Beaux. It’s a floral-aldehydic feminine fine fragrance. It was released 5 May, 1921, to select clientele in Chanel rue Cambon boutique.
It is traditionally that fragrance worn by women had adhered to two basic categories: respectable women favored the pure essence of a single garden flower, and sexually provocative perfumes heavy with animal musk or jasmine. Chanel felt the time was right for the debut of a scent that would epitomize the flapper and would speak to the liberated spirit of the 1920s.


Meaning of No.5

Chanel was handed over to the care of nuns, at the age of twelve, and for the next six years spent a stark disciplined existence in a convent orphanage, Aubazine, founded by Cistercians in the twelfth century. From her earliest days there, the number five had potent associations for her. In 1920, when presented with small glass vials containing sample scent compositions numbered 1 to 5 and 20 to 24 for her assessment, she chose the fifth vial.

Chanel: ” I present my dress collections on the fifth of May, the fifth month of the year and so we will let this sample number five keep the name it has already, it will being good luck.”

The Bottle

For the bottle Chanel envisioned a design that would be an antidote for the over-elaborate, precious fussiness of the crystal fragrance bottles then in fashion popularized by Lalique and Baccarat. Her bottle would be “pure transparency… an invisible bottle”. The bottle design was inspired by the rectangular beveled lines of the Charvet toiletry bottles. The first bottle produced in 1919, differed from the Chanel No.5 bottle today. The original container had small, delicate rounded shoulders and was sold only in  Chanel boutiques to select clients.

1920s/1930s

The official launch place and date of Chanel No.5 was in her rue Cambon boutique in the fifth month of the year, on the fifth day of the month: 5 May 1921.

1940s

In the eraly 1940s, “Parfums Chanel” took a contrary track and actually decreased advertising. In 1939 and 1940, ads  had been significant.

1950s

The glamour of Chanel No.5, in the 1950s, was reignited by the celebrity of Marylin Monroe. In a 1954 interview, when asked what she wore to bed, the movie star provocatively responded: “five drops of Chanel No.5“.

1960s

The glossy magazines, the high-fashion bibles such as Vogue and Bazaar, presented Chanel No.5 as the required accessory to every woman’s femininity.

1970s and 1980s

For the first time in its long history it ran the risk of being labeled as mass market and passe. The fragrance was removed from drug stores and similar outlets. Outside advertising agencies were dropped. The remaking was re-imagined by Jacques Helleu, the artistic director for “Parfums Chanel”. He chose french actress Catherine Deneuve for the new face of Chanel. Television commercials were inventive mini-films with production values of surreal fantasy and seduction.

1990s

Carole Bouquet was the face of Chanel No.5 during this decade.

2000 to today

Nicole Kidman in 2003 was enlisted to represent the fragrance. In 2012 Brad Pitt was the first male who advertise Chanel No.5 in the history of the fragrance. In 2014 , Luhrmann collaborated with Chanel, creating a second “mini-film”, advertising campaign for No.5, this time with Gisele Bundchen and Michiel Huisman.


Coco Mademoiselle, perfume from the Chanel collection, was introduced in 2001 for the younger Chanel fans. The perfume was created by Jacques Polge, the nose of Chanel since 1978. Chanel in 2007 launched a new advertising  film starring current spokesmodel Keira Knightley as Coco Chanel. The film was directed by Joe Wright. Joss Stone (soul singer) re-recorded Nat King Cole’s 1965 “L-O-V-E” for the short film.

Coco Mademoiselle



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