For the first time, one of the five interpretations of Chanel’s N°5 has taken a turn away from its iconic bottle. While the formula of N°5 L’Eau, created in 2016 by in-house Perfumer Olivier Polge, remains unchanged, the new oblong shape of this collector’s bottle is totally unexpected. This beautiful object, a tribute to a cult reply of Marilyn Monroe, crystallises the Chanel legend while affirming the modernity of this olfactory variation.
Available online and in boutiques from 13 June, the brand new limited edition of N°5 L’Eau comes in a bottle inspired by a reply from Marylin Monroe to Life magazine in 1952. Asked “What do you wear to bed?” the star’s now famous answer was: “A few drops of Chanel N°5.” The new bottle takes her answer literally. Like a second skin, the oblong shape plays on transparency, making us forget its material nature in favour of the fluid element it contains. This collector bottle gives substance to the myth and brings it up to date.
Unlike the original bottle, which rests on a flat base, this convex version is unstable. It is like an organic shape that you want to grab hold of and make your own. It is designed to curl up in the palm of your hand, inviting you to touch it. While remaining faithful to Gabrielle Chanel’s spirit of purity and simplicity, this limited edition brings a new tactile and emotional dimension to N°5.
Technical challenges
The smooth, monolithic shape of the bottle and its cap mirror that of another reference in the range, N°5 L’Eau On Hand Cream. The glass work, however, proved complex: the designing, technical development and production of the bottle required 18 months of work by Chanel’s in-house teams, in collaboration with the suppliers selected.
The blown glass bottle was made by Koa Glass, the Japanese glassmaker who produced the 31 Le Rouge lipstick case. The pressed glass cap was made by Austrian supplier Technoglass (Cerve Group). While the bottle includes 15% recycled PCR glass, the cap is made of pure glass to meet technical capacity requirements.
“The first technical challenge was the oval shape: because the bottle could not be placed on the glassmaker’s conveyor belt like a flat-bottomed bottle, the supplier had to develop a special process to hold the bottle during the designing phase. Fitting the metal ring on the neck was also challenging. Then, the cap had to be adjusted and held in place to ensure perfect alignment,” explains Sylvie Legastelois, Chanel’s Packaging Creation Director.
A different perfume experience
This new bottle evokes the imaginary world of water, life, the movement of time and the importance of capturing the moment. An interactive experience on the brand’s website preceded the launch. This activation, “A drop of Tomorrow,” engages the users by offering them a personalised experience. It encourages them to open up about themselves using a few keywords (love, freedom, passion, boldness…) to “create a virtual drop that will reveal your future.”
This game mechanic supports the promise associated with the fragrance: “We all need a drop of desire, of mystery, of joy”. It is not the first time the House explores this theme, associating the fragrance with identity and destiny. This was also the underlying theme of the game “Le tarot divinatoire”, presented online and during the exhibition event “Le Grand Numéro de Chanel” (Paris – winter 2023).
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