CHANEL Reveals Factory 5 Collection

The fashion house's iconic No. 5 perfume is now officially a centenarian. To celebrate, fans can indulge in an unconventional limited edition collection.

For a century, N°5 has regularly reinvented itself and continues to surprise us. To celebrate the centenary of the iconic fragrance, the House of CHANEL has created a new, limited edition collection, to be discovered in its production site specially recreated for the public.

N°5 has stood the test of time and told the story of the times. Today, the way we consume is changing, and the value of an object goes beyond its production cost and its use. “There can be as much value in products that we use regularly as in products that we use for very special occasions. It’s all about the experience these products give you,” says Thomas du Pré de Saint Maur, CHANEL’s Head of Global Creative Resources Fragrance and Beauty.

Body oil in a burette, bath tablets in a tea tin— by reusing 17 everyday objects in this collection, N°5 has subverted their functions, demonstrating once again that luxury is in the experience we have of things.

CHANEL FACTORY 5 symbolizes a return to the essence of the approach initiated by Gabrielle Chanel, her desire to break the codes and free herself from constraints. Through this concept, CHANEL proposes a return to the first packaging of N°5, which was a simple laboratory bottle, a functional object that became luxurious and iconic. CHANEL FACTORY 5 celebrates the fact that through the years, the idea of the first bottle is still present and accompanies N°5.

“By taking popular consumer items out of their context and dressing them up in the aesthetics of N°5, we return to CHANEL’s first creative gesture: that of transforming a functional object into a desirable luxury item. That’s what CHANEL FACTORY 5 is all about: offering the experience of luxury in everyday life.”

The idea behind CHANEL FACTORY 5 is to reconcile worlds, that of the consumer goods factory and the codes of a Luxury House and its iconic perfume, N°5. It is also a nod to Pop Art, which transformed everyday objects into works of art. CHANEL takes the concept to the extreme and presents this unique collection through an immersive experience.

In this production site with ultra-modern design entirely dedicated to the transformation of N°5 into collector’s items, the products pass from mechanical conveyor belts into the hands of CHANEL experts who perpetuate a tradition of excellence.

From June 29, CHANEL will deploy this industrial scenography across the world’s largest cities. These pop-ups, imagined as theme parks dedicated to N°5, immerse people in a world which mixes the black and white identity of N°5 and the bright colors of pop culture. The House of CHANEL also offers a digital version for those who wish to see the CHANEL FACTORY 5 without going to the pop up.