In 1921, Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel launched Chanel N°5, with the hopes that the fragrance would be “the scent of woman.” And in 2013, it still is. The perfume’s success has something to do with it’s complexity; beneath the famed notes of Jasmine, Sandalwood and Ylang-Ylang is the influential art of the ’20s—Picasso, Cocteau, Stravinsky and Dali—as well as Chanel’s own loves. An upcoming exhibition in Paris, N°5 Culture Chanel which will be on display at the Palais de Tokyo in Paris from May 5 to June 5, 2013, explores just that history.
Take a look in the DuJour gallery to see Catherine Deneuve posing for Richard Avedon in the perfume’s 1973 ad campaign and more from the exhibit.
