Behind the Icon: Chanel No. 5
What makes a product iconic? That was the question we asked as we edited this year’s list of the 100 most iconic beauty products of all time. Though every lipstick, mascara, hair spray, and cleanser on the list deserves its moment in the sun, there are a few key beauty icons who have earned to have their stories (legends?) expanded on in greater detail. First up: a mini history behind Chanel No. 5 perfume.
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Maybe you’ve never worn —but you know what it means to wear it. There’s only one fragrance that telegraphs sophistication as quickly as this rich floral scent, which debuted 100 years ago. It was the first Chanel fragrance; it had to make a statement. Gabrielle Chanel’s vision was that a woman’s scent was as important as her dress.
Made in concert with perfumer-to-the-stars Ernest Beaux, No. 5 was seen as a departure from the perfumes that were popular at the time, which were all single-flower scents and utterly simplistic. Beaux got his inspiration from as far away as the Arctic Circle. He wanted to give the scent freshness and light, and he achieved it by adding aldehydes, synthetic substances he was researching that gave the fragrance an airy quality. They also have this fantastic ability to make all the ingredients more complex and almost impossible to decipher. (Aldehydes would later be commonplace in perfumery, and dominate the 1980s. Beaux was a revolutionary.) At the same time, Chanel herself was feeling bold, pushing Beaux to add more and more jasmine, one of the most precious essences. The end result is an opulent, heady, and completely modern floral.
And then, of course, there’s the bottle. In the 1920s, perfumes were fussy, romantic, flowery little things. Chanel No. 5 was Spartan by comparison. It looked like a lab flask, with its geometric shape. The black blocky letters. The name. No. 5? It was simply the fifth sample Beaux sent over, which Chanel approved. It didn’t hurt that Chanel felt that the numeral 5 was especially lucky, and her sign, the Leo, was the fifth sign of the zodiac. It was so different, so refreshing; it worked.
Marilyn Monroe poses with a bottle of Chanel No. 5. Michael Ochs Archives Getty Images
Public adoration for No. 5 reached a fever pitch when actress Marilyn Monroe began mentioning the bottle pictured on her nightstand. “You know they ask you questions like, ‘What do you wear to bed? A pajama top? The bottom of pajamas? Or the nightgown?’ So I said Chanel No. 5, because it’s the truth,” Monroe says in a recording obtained by Chanel. “And yet I don’t want to say nude. But it’s the truth.” Monroe cemented No. 5 as more than just a fragrance—it was now the scent of the world’s most internationally beloved sex symbol.
Today, the century-old fragrance sits among new launches looking and feeling entirely modern. The trend right now is about scents that combine synthetics with precious naturals. And aesthetically, the austere designs are the order of the day. Chanel and Beaux were ahead of their time, creating a revolution in a bottle.
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Jennie brings the cool to winter with her Chanel Coco Neige campaign
When it comes to Chanel, the name Jennie Kim (of Blackpink) needs no further introduction and this uber-chic K-Pop princess is back again to strike it cool for the new Coco Neige campaign, featuring the brand’s latest winter sports collection.
Shot by the legendary photograph duo Inez and Vinoodh, the campaign images sees Jennie in a variety of looks including a padded ski coat, cardigans, Chanel-branded AirPods cases and bold jewellery designs.
On the collection, Jennie says, “I find it amazing to see how Virginie Viard brought elegance into ski wear. I think Virginie Viard creates for many different women and has a different story to every collection that she made.”
Scroll down to see all the campaign images now:
Kristen Stewart’s Best Red Carpet Looks Have Redefined the “Chanel Woman”
In 2002, Kristen Stewart made her red carpet debut wearing a black dress and trench for the film premiere of Panic Room, alongside Jodie Foster. Five years later, she was wearing Rodarte; now, she’s one of Chanel’s best celebrity ambassadors and shows off her visible tattoos in the brand’s storied haute couture. Stewart has appeared as the face of the Chanel makeup and accessory campaigns, sits front row at nearly every Chanel fashion show, and regularly wears Chanel at red carpet screenings and galas. She’s practically single-handily expanded and fully modernized the image of the “Chanel woman” in the process. With Oscar buzz growing over her role as Princess Diana in Spencer, she’s sure to wear more of the luxury house on the red carpet.
Still, as she’s grown up, Stewart’s own personal style has evolved into casual perfection. She loves sneakers and jeans, and as one of the few openly queer women in fashion, Stewart makes no compromises when it comes to her comfort. She’s known to eschew high heels right on the red carpet, switching into sneakers in an exquisite Marchesa gown. With Chanel, Stewart makes the brand feel as contemporary as her distressed Re/Done jeans. See her evolution from pre-teen phenom to designer darling here.
2021: The Met Gala Photo: Mike Coppola/Getty Images. As per usual, Stewart wore a Chanel pantsuit at the 2021 Met Gala, along with a high ponytail showing off her new straw blonde hair.
2021: Telluride Film Festival Photo: Vivien Killilea/Getty Images. Not every film festival needs couture — here, Stewart’s casual style is on full display in a button-down top by Tombolo, Re/Done tank top, and red velvet TUK creepers.
2021: Venice Film Festival Red Carpet Photo: P. Lehman/Barcroft Media via Getty Images. At the Venice premiere of her highly-anticipated new film, Spencer, Stewart wore Virginie Viard’s take on classic Chanel lingerie as ready-to-wear.
2021: Venice Film Festival Photocall Photo: Daniele Venturelli/WireImage. This daring Chanel romper was perfect for the sunny summer weather in Venice.
2020: Chanel Womenswear Spring Summer 2021 Photo: Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for CHANEL. Even after Karl Lagerfeld passed away, Stewart continued her work with Chanel — which has proved to be one of fashion’s most enduring partnerships.
2019: London Premiere of Charlie’s Angels Photo: Dave J Hogan/Getty Images. This Thom Browne gown features the designer’s play on hip proportions, along with punkish plaid.
2019: Arriving To Live With Kelly And Ryan Photo: Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images. Chanel tweed, boots, and a cropped gray tank top are the epitome of queer effortless cool.
2019: San Sebastian Film Festival Photo: Carlos Alvarez/Getty Images. At the Spain premiere of Seberg, Stewart donned this Thom Browne pantsuit with white contrast stitching.
2019: The Met Gala Photo: Karwai Tang/Getty Images. At the 2019 Met Gala, Stewart made Chanel palazzo pants feel as daring as her two-toned neon orange hair.
2018: Cannes amFAR Gala Photo: Tristan Fewings/amfAR/Getty Images for amFAR. Chanel Haute Couture stripes for the Cannes amFAR Gala, benefitting HIV+/AIDS research.
2018: Cannes Film Festival Photo: Jacopo Raule/GC Images. Stewart has a knack for taking Chanel’s traditional style and making it feel youthful, modern, and full of attitude.
2017: New York Premiere Of Personal Shopper Photo: Mike Pont/WireImage. Personal Shopper is one of Stewart’s best films, and for the premiere, she showed off her newly-buzzed hair with a halter neckline Chanel gown.
2016: Sundance Film Festival Photo: Getty Images. She may love elaborate gowns, but Stewart knows how to play it cool on the red carpet. Her look at the 2016 Sundance Festival premiere of Certain Women embodies her casual, boyish style that she’d develop over the next several years.
2015: Chanel Metiers d’Art Fashion Show in Rom, Italy Photo: Getty Images. Lagerfeld recruited Stewart for campaigns — and to fill his front row.
2015: Film Society of Lincoln Center Luncheon Photo: Mike Pont/WireImage. Sometimes, the occasion just calls for “Ladies Who Lunch” — and when that look calls, Lagerfeld’s Chanel delivers.
2015: Venice Film Festival Photo: John Rasimus/Barcroft Media. Since signing on as a face of Chanel, Stewart has worn designs by Karl Lagerfeld and his successor Virginie Viard to nearly all her premieres and screenings. The two eventually became close friends, which she detailed in her 2019 Vanity Fair cover story. Here, she dazzles in lace and satin at the premiere of Equals.
2013: The Met Gala Photo: Rabani and Solimene Photography/WireImage. The jumpsuit makes another appearance, albeit this time with a jewel-toned overhaul by Stella McCartney.
2012: London Premiere Of Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 Photo: Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Images. For the press tour of Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2, Stewart hit the red carpet in a series of incredible looks that, today, are some of her finest fashion moments. Here, she’s wearing a beaded jumpsuit by Zuhair Murad.
2012: Los Angeles Premiere Of Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 Photo: Getty Images. Continuing the Twilight press tour in another Zuhair Murad piece.
2012: AFI Fest Red Carpet Photo: Getty Images. Stewart has always been known to favor menswear-inspired looks, but this 2012 Balenciaga ensemble is one of her first statements at such on the AFI premiere of On the Road.
2012: Sydney Premiere Of Snow White And The Huntsman Photo: Getty Images. Here, the gilt detailing and two-piece silhouette of this Balmain outfit mark a departure from Stewart’s previous, more classically-inspired looks.
2011: London Premiere Of Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 Photo: Getty Images. Stewart’s red carpet looks become more dramatic, and more sophisticated, as she neared the end of her Twilight tenure — often favoring black and dark neutrals. Here, she stuns in Roberto Cavalli.
2010: New York Screening Of Welcome To The Rileys Photo: Getty Images. In a Valentino mini dress, Stewart plays up the Hollywood glam look with a red lip and smoky eye at a Cinema Society screening.
2009: London Premiere Of Twilight Saga: New Moon Photo: Eamonn McCormack/WireImage. Stewart makes a rare foray into color with this bright teal and green Proenza sweater and skirt, showing off a freshly bobbed hairstyle.
2008: MTV Video Music Awards Photo: Steve Granitz/WireImage. Newly brunette, Stewart arrives at the VMAs in Derek Lam to present alongside her Twilight cast mates.
2007: Los Angeles Premiere Of Into the Wild Photo: Toby Canham/Getty Images. With the premiere of Into the Wild, Stewart starts to dabble in high fashion — here, with an ultra-feminine Rodarte frock.
2005: Tribeca Film Festival Photo: Photo by Evan Agostini/Getty Images. Three years later, Stewart starts to work with her hair but still keeps her wardrobe choices fairly neutral at a screening of Fierce People.