N°5 - The number says it all. In 1920, Gabrielle Chanel and master perfumer Ernest Beaux were to create the most mythical and best-selling fragrance of all time. From the several magical tales of its creation, whether true or false, to the formula's provenance, Chanel would preserve her legacy to unmistakable proportions with the release of N°5.
Initially presented to Chanel in vial sets numbered 1-5 & 20-24, the couturier would swiftly inform Beaux of her luck with the number 5, ("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 has already, it will bring good luck."). But luck had nothing to do with her business intellect and undeniable determination. N°5 began as a complimentary gift to her most loyal couture clients during Christmas 1921 and would be sprayed immediately prior to Chanel's entrance into her famed Rue Cambon boutique in Paris. Upon the intense interest and acclaim the scent garnered by wearers, Chanel knew it was time for mass production of N°5 to commence. Through a friend Mademoiselle was introduced to Pierre Wertheimer, an established French businessman, who would use his extensive experience in commerce to manufacture massive amounts of the perfume for worldwide distribution. Officially released in 1922, Chanel's iconic N°5 has become the world's best-selling fragrance and remains the most famous perfume of all time.
Mysterious as it is opulent, Chanel would instill her inimitable style, presence, and personality into a perfume known simply as N°5.
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