Courtesy of Chanel & Glamour UK
No5 has become much more than just a fragrance for the house of Chanel. Continuing to be the most famous and successful perfume in the world a century on from its creation, it harnesses its own powerful symbolism as a flag of the fashion house. The iconography connected to the fragrance is like no other, from the timeless, simplistic bottle and signature number to the instantly recognisable scent and the legacy it continues to hold as the first of its kind.
CoCo Chanel was renowned for redefining not only women's fashion but their lifestyles through practicality and simplicity. Liberating women through forward-thinking designs, Chanel forever changed the way we view fashion, from her freeing silhouettes to introducing black to everyday fashion. But she didn't stop there, Chanel went beyond the creation of clothes. Creating a scent that identified you as a sophisticated, modern woman, immersing the lifestyle of Chanel into an iconic glass bottle. A fragrance that remains classic and contemporary over 100 years later.
Courtesy of Chanel & Inside Chanel
The iconic fragrance was the first of its kind when created in 1921. Gabrielle Chanel paired up with infamous French perfumer, Ernest Beaux when she proposed in her own words, that the fragrance must be "a woman's perfume with a woman's scent". No5 rebelled against all perfumes of the 20s, of course- as everything mademoiselle Chanel did was substantial and ahead of her time. Defying against glorifying a single flowers scent, the secret formula is Chanel's best-kept secret of over 80 notes. From ylang-ylang and orange blossom to sandalwood and delicately acquired jasmine, it is the very essence of modern femininity. As one of the first fragrances to use Beaux's innovative, unprecedented aldehydes to exalt the scents, No5 is revolutionary in all ways.
The simplicity of Chanel's ethos even comes down to the name of No5, originally selected by Coco herself as the chosen sample number, reinforcing her unwavering timelessness. The original bottle has effortlessly adapted over time with its minimalistic silhouette and clear finish. Seamlessly interjecting the two colours Chanel stands for with a simple black and white label. Completed with the diamond-cut stopper which is rumoured to be inspired by the Parisian landmark Place Vendome.
Courtesy of #legend
The iconic No5 fragrance encountered many revolutionary firsts of the time, becoming more than just a fashion house's extension of perfume, it is now a signature symbol for Chanel adding to the house's timeless ethos. No5 triumphed as the world's best-selling perfume of all time, pioneering how fragrance is advertised, from becoming the first perfume to be advertised at a Super Bowl to emerging as the first fragrance featured in a permanent collection at the Modern Art Museum of New York. Chanel's classic little bottle full of gold built an everlasting heritage.
Among many unforgettable moments attached to the legendary Chanel fragrance, Marilyn Monroe's acclaimed line of "just a few drops of No5" forever lives on with the fragrance, while adding to its renowned history. In an interview for Life magazine at the height of her stardom, the line was published for the first time when she is asked what she wears to bed. The Hollywood icon's love affair with No5 was renowned as she incidentally became a face we still associate today with the perfume.
Courtesy of Yahoo News
Celebrities became an iconic part of Chanel, embodying the fragrance throughout time through their sophistication. From Suzy Parker to Nicole Kidman, No5 has held some of the world's most famous and respected celebrities as the face of the perfume. Brad Pitt Even became the first man to represent a feminine fragrance in 2012 as an official spokesperson on No5. Today Oscar winner Marion Cotillard embodies the timeless fragrance as Chanel continues to epitomize No5 through creative storytelling for the elite.
You can watch this behind-the-scenes video talking of the iconography of No5:
All images used in this blog are either copyright free or rightfully credited. Sources can be accessed via the link below each image.
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