How Did CHANEL Start Creating Fragrances?
The History Behind CHANEL Fragrances
CHANEL is more than a high-end fashion brand. It is synonymous with beauty and class.
What started as a small hat-making store has today transformed into an haute couture brand offering jewellery, accessories, and perfumes. The brand rose to global fame in the backdrop of the First World War. It became popular for its garments all across Europe.
Coco CHANEL’s massive fame in the fashion world motivated her to experiment and expand her business. This motivation drove her to create a perfume in collaboration with the perfumer to the Russian Tsars. With these experiments began the story of the CHANEL perfume.
CHANEL No.5 — The Iconic Original
By 1921, Coco CHANEL had established her name as one of the most trusted entrepreneurs in the world. The brand had boutiques across France. It became a symbol of innovation and luxury.
Witnessing the incredible success of her brand inspired CHANEL to reflect its popularity in a product. This was the birth of CHANEL No. 5. An attempt to epitomize the fearless, modern woman, CHANEL No. 5 was CHANEL’s dream project.
In one of her vacations at the Côte D’Azur, she met with Ernest Beaux, a perfumer for the Russian royal family. After months of work into creating CHANEL’s desired fragrance, Beaux presented 5 options. She picked number 5 and named the product so.
Parfums CHANEL and Coco’s Rise
To the credit of a wildly amazing response to the No.5, CHANEL decided to expand. Her eyes were now set beyond France and Europe.
Motivated to take her business forward, CHANEL partnered with Theophile Bader and Pierre Wertheimer—a businessman and a venture capitalist. The partnership, named Parfums CHANEL, did not continue for long. But for CHANEL, it created a path for the greater success of her perfumes.
House of CHANEL and Stylish Parfumerie
Even in the face of the Second World War, CHANEL continued to build key business partnerships under the name—House of CHANEL.
The 1950s brought tremendous growth for CHANEL’s perfume products by launching eau de toilette for men. The brand continued to soar in the following years and even after CHANEL’s death.
The brand owners decided to make the No.5 and other perfumes scarce to drive demand with time. The perfumes were also associated with and advertised through celebrities like Marilyn Monroe.
Conclusion
CHANEL’s perfumes emanate only luxury and elegance. They are the hallmarks of high-end fashion. Starting with experimentation, CHANEL built a brand for her perfumes over several years.
