Chanel launched its iconic No. 5 perfume in 1921.
The fragrance was officially introduced on 5 May 1921 at Coco Chanel’s boutique on Paris’s rue Cambon, initially for a select clientele. Its name came from the fifth sample presented to Chanel by perfumer Ernest Beaux, who had developed a series of numbered compositions. Chanel also considered five a lucky and meaningful number.
Beaux’s formula was strikingly modern for its time. Alongside natural floral materials such as rose and jasmine, it used aldehydes, synthetic aroma compounds that helped give the perfume its expansive, abstract character. Rather than smelling like one identifiable flower, No. 5 created a more complex floral-aldehydic impression.
The familiar bottle evolved after the launch. Early versions had more rounded shoulders; the square, faceted design associated with the fragrance was introduced in 1924, when Parfums Chanel expanded production and distribution. Advertising later made the perfume a cultural icon, including a famous 1937 appearance by Chanel herself.