The Shape of Chanel

Perfume gives a fashion house a presence far beyond the wardrobe. Chanel N°5, launched in 1921, is one of the clearest examples. When perfumer Ernest Beaux presented Gabrielle Chanel with a series of numbered samples, she selected the fifth, which gave the fragrance its name. Its rectangular bottle, topped by an octagonal stopper said to echo the shape of Place Vendôme, has become one of perfumery’s most recognisable designs. For me, N°5 is also personal: it was the first perfume my mother gave me.

For this still life, photographer Thomas van Schaik and I paired N°5 with Bleu de Chanel, taking the geometry of their bottles as our starting point. Golden cubes, amber perfume and blue-black glass build an architectural puzzle around two Chanel icons.

Photography by Thomas van Schaik. Concept and creative direction by Im Fong Liu