When Gabrielle Chanel created N°5 Parfum with perfumer Ernest Beaux in 1921, she launched a revolution in a bottle. It was the first of its kind—groundbreaking for Beaux’s innovative use of aldehydes, or synthetic components that add layers of complexity, making N°5 shockingly modern in an era of single-note scents. As the most potent symbol of the elegant simplicity for which CHANEL is renowned, N°5 has since become more than a fragrance. It is an olfactory heritage: an idea of femininity, a masterpiece of refinement, passed on from generation to generation. The now and forever fragrance.
Designed in 1921 by Mademoiselle herself, the minimal lines and plain white label of The Classic Bottle were as surprising as the fragrance. The chiseled stopper was inspired by the geometry of Paris’s Place Vendôme, which Mademoiselle could gaze at from the balcony of her room at the Ritz. Over the years, only subtle changes have been made to the original design in order to preserve its stunning contemporary aesthetic.
Since the creation of N°5, CHANEL has practiced the art of baudruchage to seal bottles of Parfum. Performed entirely by hand, the technique consists of placing a fine membrane over the neck of the bottle and holding it in place with 2 rows of pearl-cotton thread. It is then closed with a black wax stamp. From this moment, a pact of exclusiveness is assured: The bottle can only be opened by the individual for whom it is destined.