In 1921, Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel commissioned perfumer Ernest Beaux to create a signature scent. The couturier considered the number five to be lucky and, as the story goes, she consequently chose the fifth sample of the fragrance, deciding to name it No 5. A decade later, Mademoiselle (as she’s often known) introduced her first and only official jewellery collection, named Bijoux de Diamants, at her home on Paris’s Rue de Faubourg Saint-Honoré. Set with diamonds and sculpted using platinum that was cast to shape shooting stars and bows, most of the pieces were later disassembled. A surviving brooch was eventually recovered by Chanel, and it is now part of the house’s heritage collection.
The Scent of Empires by Karl Schlögel review – politics, power and perfume
theguardian.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from theguardian.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
That nearly bespoke feel is due to a blend of over 80 notes and accords, from rich sandalwood and ylang-ylang to citrusy bergamot and orange blossom to a copious amount of specially sourced jasmine. The formula a guarded secret, of course also includes aldehydes, synthetic elements that add a heady
je ne sais quoi. They were cutting-edge when Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel introduced the scent in 1921. At the time, single-note floral scents dominated the market, so the mix itself broke the mold as the opposite of the era’s monotone florals.
“She wanted to make sure people would say, ‘You smell good,’ and not, ‘You smell like rose or jasmine,’ ” explains Thomas du Pré de Saint Maur, Chanel’s head of global creative resources for fragrance and beauty, fine jewelry, and watches. “The only thing that counted was the woman.”
What has Chanel No. 5 to do with Soviet Red Moscow perfume
RBTH
07 May 2021, 04:55 GMT+10
What s common between the most famous Western scent and the emblematic Soviet aroma? Both have roots in Russian Imperial history.
No perfume was more popular in Soviet times than Red Moscow. As everything in the Communist state, people decorated their homes in the same way, ate the same meals and dressed in the same way. Likewise, Soviet women all had the same scent. It filled the air on every festive occasion in the Soviet Union - at the Moscow Conservatory, in the Bolshoi Theatre, at graduation ceremonies and weddings, German historian Karl Schlögel writes in his book, The Scent of Empire. Chanel No. 5 and Red Moscow, (Translated by Jessica Spengler, Polity publications, 2021).
What has Chanel No. 5 to do with Soviet Red Moscow perfume? Kira Lisitskaya (Photo: Chanel, Novaya Zarya) What’s common between the most famous Western scent and the emblematic Soviet aroma? Both have roots in Russian Imperial history.
No perfume was more popular in Soviet times than Red Moscow. As everything in the Communist state, people decorated their homes in the same way, ate the same meals and dressed in the same way. Likewise, Soviet women all had the same scent. It filled the air on every festive occasion in the Soviet Union - at the Moscow Conservatory, in the Bolshoi Theatre, at graduation ceremonies and weddings, German historian Karl Schlögel writes in his book,
vimarsana © 2020. All Rights Reserved.