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The 17-piece collection centres around the perfume’s original packaging – a simple laboratory bottle which has since become as iconic as the scent itself
Today, Chanel is celebrating 100 years of the perfume Chanel No.5, with the launch of a very cool and quirky limited-edition collection – Factory No.5.
Probably the most famous fragrance on the planet, if perfumes were classic works of art, Chanel No.5 would be the Mona Lisa. While not the first “fashion house” scent, it was probably the first that really shook the world.
Similar to what she did with fashion, Chanel stripped back all the external frills and fripperies associated with perfumery, resulting in a streamlined square bottle, an intriguing numerical name and above all, a “fiercely feminine” bouquet – and one of the first to experiment with synthetic notes, making it highly addictive and worlds away from the many “natural” perfumes women were wearing at the time – and a classic was born.
Launching today, the 17 (yes, 17) piece collection is “inspired by ordinary objects” – a nod to No.5’s original packaging which was a simple laboratory bottle which has since become as iconic as the scent itself. The bottle’s cult status was cemented in 1980 when it was painted by artist Andy Warhol. Warhol was of course responsible for the Pop Art movement which this new limited-edition range pays homage to.
Pop Art elevated ordinary objects to artistic iconic status – the most famous example is Warhol’s paintings of Campbells Soup tins – and this collection aims to do something similar, imbuing mundane objects with some No.5 magic. Think shower gel in paint tubes, body oil in a can and soap in a shoe polish tin. Here are ten worth sniffing out…
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Our overall tried-and-tested take? It’s a fun collection and a fitting tribute to Mlle Chanel’s original vision that made her brand a household name. Some of the pieces are definitely worth investing in for anyone looking to elevate their ordinary bathing routine or build a collection of fragrant keepsakes. We particularly love the body cream for its ability to transform our parched, scaly limbs, while the packaging is a joy to use. While lovers of the original scent might want to treat themselves to the blister pack version if their current bottle is running low.
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Looking for a new scent on a budget? read our round-up of the 10 best perfume dupes that smell like the real thing