FRAGRANCE LORE states that in 1921 Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel – Coco to her friends – selected the fifth scent sample offered to her by Ernest Beaux, perfumer to the tsars and the French fashion designer’s ‘nose’. The sample would become Chanel No5: the fashion house’s very first perfume and, arguably, the world’s most iconic scent.
By 1921 Chanel was already a phenomenon in French fashion circles with designs that defied convention. She styled women in trousers and glamorised simplicity and comfort at a time when frilly dresses and restrictive corsets were the norm. It made sense, then, that Chanel’s first perfume should turn feminine ideals on their head too. The brief was simple: make a fragrance that smells like a woman. Which, in 1921, was a radical idea.
Before Chanel No5, the perfume world revolved around flowers in a very literal way – you could smell like lilies, roses, violets, take your pick… But smell like a woman? C’est pas possible. ‘No5 is a perfume with an abstract aesthetic,’ says Olivier Polge, Chanel’s in-house perfumer since 2015, ‘meaning it doesn’t seek to mimic the scents of nature.’ This was modern perfumery in the making. Leave it to Coco.
Denne historien er fra July 2024-utgaven av Grazia India.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra July 2024-utgaven av Grazia India.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Under The Needle
With filler-face phasing out, we are embracing the natural aesthetic but not how you might expect it
BUILDING A LEGACY
Driven by passion and a commitment to quality, this brand is making a mark in the luxury furniture market with a perfect blend of local artistry and global design
A WALK DOWN FIFTH AVENUE
From high fashion to historic landmarks, this coffee table book explores how Fifth Avenue became the heartbeat of New York's cultural and social scene
NO SEX, MO' PROBLEMS?
At a time when sex seems to be everywhere, women are experiencing a dip in their sexual desires. We find out why
MORE THAN IT SEAMS
Who says lace can’t be hewn from leather? Or that paper can’t sit on the body like a weathered old sweater? In a time of rampant production and boundless creativity, is material the final frontier for designers? When all else seems lost to the algorithm, fashion’s deceptive ingenuity requires us to look a little closer
TABLE FOR ONE, PLEASE
In a world obsessed with couplegoals, here’s why taking yourself out for a date might just be the ultimate love story
THE DREAM CANVAS
In the city that wholeheartedly embraces its role as a global cultural hub, the second edition of Art Mumbai promises to redefine creativity and innovation
SPRING FORWARD
Of hits, misses, and everything in between this season at Lakmé Fashion Week x FDCI
LUST-WORTHY LUXURY LABELS
To Light Up This Wedding Season
ICONIC DESIGN MEETS A MOBILE FUTURE
The new Dell XPS is designed for new age content creators and suave C-suite