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100 years of Chanel N°5: a perfume that made history

Avant-garde. Manifesto. Revolution.

These are the words used to describe the perfume in the latest episode of Inside Chanel Chanel N°5, which this year celebrates a century of its existence. Inside Chanel has been bringing us short films since 2012 that focus on the founders and history of this fashion brand. This story has 32 chapters, each with its own unique style, adapted from archival footage and modern graphics. By putting the pieces of the story together, we get a picture of who she was Gabrielle Chanel, a woman who became a symbol of high fashion and understanding of modern women, regardless of the era in which they lived.

The episode takes us on the journey Gabrielle embarked on to create a women's perfume with the scent of femininity. It gives us an insight into the history of the cult perfume, from the moment it was created until today. How he pushed the boundaries, how he got his name and how something so unconventional and avant-garde became synonymous with classics, read below.

 

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How was Chanel N°5 perfume created and how did it get its name?

When we think of Chanel, we think with the senses. We feel the pearls on our necks and the self-confidence that the little black dress brings us. We smell all the parties that took place in the Place Vendome, where Gabrielle invited artists such as Salvador Dali and Pablo Piccaso. And above all, we can smell the fragrance that celebrates 100 years of existence this year, and that is Chanel N°5.

In the early 1920s, Gabrielle Chanel was already known as a trendsetter in Paris. She decided to take a step forward in her fashion revolution and with help Ernest Beaux to make a perfume that would become a symbol of femininity. His task was to create a perfume that embodied her elegant, simple and well-designed cuts. Chanel wanted to offer women something beyond "soliflore" - a fragrance composed of one or two simple notes. She said she wanted to ” … an artificial smell, something made. I am a seamstress. I don't want rose or lily of the valley, I want a personalized scent.”

The number five had always been there for Gabrielle lucky number, but at the same time she chose the right one among all the fragrances fifth copy, which they know prepared by Beaux. And that's how the famous Chanel N°5 got its name.

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His place in history

Chanel N°5 perfume is the first perfume to be advertised on television, as well as the first perfume to enter the Museum of Modern Art. Over the years, in addition to becoming a symbol of style and elegance, it has also become a cultural phenomenon. When Paris was liberated in 1944, American soldiers stood in line for a bottle of this perfume to take home to their wives. Thus, Chanel N°5 became the scent of freedom.

They further contributed to his already acquired fame Marilyn Monroe, when she declared that she wears nothing to bed except a few drops of Chanel N°5 perfume, and the artist Andy Warhol, who included a bottle of this perfume in his art, which thus became an icon of pop art.

And after a century, countless stories and fantasies in which it served as a background, Chanel N°5 is still the perfume that they choose women who know well who they are or who they want to become. As an interesting fact, we can say that today one bottle of this perfume is sold every 30 seconds.

Watch a short film that reminds you why Chanel N°5 is always one step ahead of any time.

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