The French fashion house that created the perfume Chanel No. 5, launched in 1921, is Chanel.
Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel commissioned the fragrance to complement her fashion business. French-Russian perfumer Ernest Beaux created the formula, using a complex blend that included aldehydes, jasmine, rose and other ingredients. Chanel selected sample number five, which supplied the perfume’s name.
The fragrance was presented to selected clients in 1921 and officially launched at Chanel’s Paris boutique on 5 May 1921—the fifth day of the fifth month. It was initially given to Chanel’s circle before being commercialized more broadly. The perfume helped establish Chanel as a major name not only in couture but also in beauty and luxury goods.
A common mix-up is answering Ernest Beaux: he created the scent, but Chanel was the fashion house and brand behind it. Another distinction is between the 1921 launch and the later Parfums Chanel company, formed in 1924 to manage production, marketing and distribution.