"Chanel No. 5" is probably the most famous perfume. It is curious that those who have never sensed their smell seem to be divine. However, in fact, the fragrance of this perfume is far from everyone's taste. Often you can find statements that "Chanel No. 5" has not gone far from the famous "Red Moscow", and their smell, despite the high cost of perfume, is suffocating and cheap. So what is the secret to the longevity of this fragrance?
At a time when the legendary Coco Chanel ruled in fashion, women were forced to use perfumes, all of which had a floral aroma. All of them were created on the basis of natural ingredients, so their smell was extremely unstable. To at least somehow prolong the effect of perfume, ladies were forced to apply it in huge quantities. This fact annoyed Mademoiselle Chanel. In addition, she, as a successful fashion designer, understood that perfumery could bring a lot of money, because unlike designer clothes, any woman could afford perfumes.
Contrary to a strong opinion, it was not Coco herself who created the perfume; for this, she lacked knowledge. In the early 20s of the 20th century, Chanel had an affair with Prince Dmitry Romanov, who introduced her to perfumer Ernest Bo, a native of Russia. Bo worked with aldehydes to create new flavors. The perfumes obtained on the basis of synthetic compounds had a pungent, artificial smell, but they had an amazing durability for that time. Bo needed funds to create new perfumes. Chanel sponsored his work and as a result received a set of 10 fragrances, each bottle of which was numbered. The choice fell on number 5.
"Why?". Perfumers and designers have been asking this question for almost a century now. It cannot be argued that the perfumes in this bottle were unusual. However, Chanel was convinced that the number "5" brings her luck. It is the aldehydes on the basis of which Chanel No. 5 was created that formed the basis of the perfume revolution. They reproduced the smell of lemon, bergamot, ylang-ylang and neroli. The heart of perfume was lily of the valley, jasmine, iris, rose and violet root, and the base was sandalwood, musk, patchouli, oak moss, vanilla, viverra, vetiver and ambergris. A total of 80 ingredients were used in the Bo flavor. According to one legend, the proportions of this perfume were obtained randomly as a result of an error, but initially the perfumer conceived a completely different ratio.
However, the fragrance itself did not solve Coco's problems. It was necessary to attract attention to him, highlighting among others. Chanel began with a bottle.
At the beginning of the 20th century, vessels for spirits were very complex, ornate, resembling works of art. Fairies, angels, butterflies could sit on their lids, and the bottle itself was often decorated with exquisite carvings. Such excessive decor did not correlate with Coco's tastes.
Therefore, she took the path of minimalism. The bottle for "Chanel No. 5" received the form of a parallelepiped. Its simple design made it possible to admire the golden liquid inside.
The financial issue also played a role here. Indeed, the production of such a bottle needed to spend much less effort, and therefore money. The name of the perfume was as concise as its "wrapper". Coco wanted to name them in her honor, but assuming that this perfume would not be her first and last, she decided to add to her surname the number of the cone that she chose from the ones proposed by the perfumer. So the name "Chanel No. 5" was born.
However, the most successful was the marketing strategy for selling perfumes. Chanel knew that if trendsetters love her perfume, then everyone else will admire him. Therefore, she acted cunningly: 100 pieces of “probes” were sent to the women themselves, who at that time were known as trendsetters. They liked the unusual aroma, and word of mouth worked. Even the Chanel No. 5 club was created. And all the wealthy women of France immediately wished to acquire these perfumes. In the same year, Coco began to exclusively sell them in her salon at 31 Rue Cambon.
And now almost a hundred years have passed since the release of Chanel No. 5 perfumes, and they remain all the same relevant and popular. Probably part of the success is in what image they carry. The fragrance is associated with strong, seductive women who know how to succeed and how to win men's hearts. The image of Chanel contributed to this. Subsequently, the perfume was represented by Catherine Deneuve, Estella Warren, Carole Bouquet, Audrey Tautou and Nicole Kidman. And in 2012, a landmark event took place, the face of the aroma was a man - Brad Pitt.
The opinions of women who at least once breathed in Chanel No. 5 are divided into two irreconcilable camps. Some consider the legendary perfume to be an eternal classic, deep and sensual aroma. Others are convinced that the outdated aroma is incredibly overrated and its smell is suffocating and synthetic. And they both agree on one thing: "Chanel No. 5" - perfumes for women, designed for women after 35 years. So what is the secret of perfume longevity? Is it really all about competent marketing policy? Or did aroma become classic deservedly? The answer to these questions is crucial exclusively for perfumers. For an ordinary lady who shares the opinion of Coco Chanel that “A woman who does not use perfume does not have a future”, only one thing is important - is the legendary fragrance suitable for her personally or not? Everything else is the work of idle philosophers.
Comments
