Chanel released Chanel No. 5 in 1921.
The fragrance was created for French couturier Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel by perfumer Ernest Beaux. It was introduced on 5 May 1921 to selected clients at Chanel’s Paris boutique on rue Cambon, making it one of the earliest major fragrances associated directly with a fashion house.
The name is often linked to the fifth sample Beaux presented to Chanel. She also regarded five as a lucky number and traditionally presented her collections on 5 May. The scent’s aldehydic floral style helped distinguish it from perfumes built around a single flower or heavy animalic notes.
A common mix-up is confusing Chanel No. 5 with the fashion house itself: Chanel did not merely endorse an existing perfume, but launched it as its first fragrance. Its bottle design and later advertising, including Chanel’s 1937 appearance in Harper’s Bazaar, became central to its identity.