5th MAY 1921

The fashion world was impeccable changed in 1919 when Gabrielle 'Coco' Chanel was officially registered as a fashion designer, both clothing and millinery, with the opening of her first 'maison de couture'. However it was not until the 5th May 1921 that the influence and magic that was Coco Chanel hit the perfume world.

On this day in 1921, Chanel introduced Chanel No. 5 to the public at her boutique.

Whilst the perfume had already been presented to clients of Chanel's whom she liked more than others, as well as some of her friends, it was by introducing it to the public that ensured the celebrity of the brand and indeed the perfume. Created by renowned perfumer Ernest Beaux, the perfume was one of the most expensive in the world at the time. Jasmine was the most expensive perfume oil and in its heavy reliance on Jasmine, the price tag attached to Chanel No. 5 was for the very elite. When deciding on a name for the perfume, after being presented with several different samples of scents created by Beaux, Chanel said,

"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 already has, it will bring good luck."

Nowadays, every girl and perhaps every guy knows about Chanel No. 5. In fact it is often considered the world's most famous perfume, with an bottle estimated to be sold every thirty seconds.

The first famous celebrity face to be associated with the perfume was that of Marilyn Monroe in the 1950's. Following Monroe other famous Chanel No. 5 ladies include Catherine Deneuve, Estella Warren, Ali McGraw and Nicole Kidman.








Image available: www.bellasugar.com.au/Franois-Ternons-Chanel-5-biography-released-Europe-5758944 


Quote available: www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chanel_No._5