In the world of Chanel, numbers count differently, chances are you always win, blue is a place you live in, being exclusive is something you’re diagnosed with and mademoiselle is your secret code name in a covert operation. What a wonderful place to be in, right? The most grand of them all — and now you can discover the experience yourself
Fragrances truly are a magical thing. Like a potion, encapsulated in a delicate, small bottle, they have the power to transform, transport and inspire with just one whiff. One spritz and you’re a whole new self in an entirely new place. This is what Le Grand Numéro de Chanel is.
In a never-seen-before fantasy world, where Alice in Wonderland meets the Greatest Showman, Chanel created a real life fragrance universe where their biggest fragrances through history come to life. In a man-made hub, in the middle of Paris, you walk through darkness to be greeted by a ringmaster of life and freedom and a musical number performed by a set of musicians in blue band suits and smudged grunge liner. Stepping into the world of fragrance (quite literally, as you walk through a N°5-shaped arc) you enter a circus-like room, where a star-filled sky conjures up your favourite scents and breathes them into life, just like the doors Alice stepped through in Wonderland, each one of them inviting you to walk through them. And who are we to refuse?
Room 1: Where the numbers count differently and the first is N°5
In the first room, step back in time and into the shoes of Ernest Beaux, a name known by few, but whose creation is known by many. Back in 1921, Beaux was tasked with creating a scent that would envelope you much like a dress. The history of N°5 – arguably the most iconic of the Chanel scents – is carefully laid out in the different parts of the room. From the basic ingredients to a walk down memory lane, from the first ever ad to the multiple facades of the scent, through the spaces of the room, you’ll walk through the living art inspiration and unique craftsmanship involved in the creation of this man-made heaven, this golden liquid.
Room 2: A land where the chances are you’ll always win
In the world of Gabrielle Chanel, chances aren’t something you take, instead they are something you make for yourself. Inspired by the one place where chances are taken almost every second, a casino-style cabaret, with pink and gold wheels of fortune, pastel-coloured dancers and poker chips that all give you the win, the playful scents and the colourful bottles come to life and play along. This room – with its colours, vibrancy and charm – recalls the year when Gabrielle Chanel became Coco and the one biggest chance was made.
Room 3: A place called Bleu
Forget the golden hour, in this world everything is bathed in an alluring blue-hued light. Skyscrapers, buildings and bridges, through the paths of this utopian city the modern man finds his home and whilst peering into the lives of the habitants of this navy land, you discover the storyline of the one you wish you were. Then the most private of clubs opens its doors to you to relax to the sound of jazz, blues and the scent of a colour fashioned into a lifestyle.
Room 4: The shrinks office, where the diagnosis deemed you exclusive
You're invited to a private viewing, one where the artworks are intended to be sniffed, rather than viewed. Each of the 18 different masterpieces, one with a personality as strong and different as the latter, stand side-by-side waiting to be discovered. But who are you? Well, who better than a professional to advise on the matter? With the scent version of the famous Rorschach test, a bit of personal introspection will allow you to find yourself among the Les Exclusifs de Chanel. Your answer will reveal what idea, character and scent you are uniquely drawn to. Imitable, mysterious, elegant and daring, do you dare to find your match?
Room 5: A covert mission with the codename Mademoiselle
The last of five rooms (a fitting number to end on), is the high fashion reprise of Charlie’s Angels. In this secret lair, full with a command centre and walls of looks and accessories, you are set off on the heels of a mysterious temptress. She, your target who smells like fresh amber, has you running to catch up. Amongst the slender corridors and sharp turns, a silhouette escapes around the corner and as you rush to follow, you turn to find an old cable phone ringing. A warm, sensual voice speaks once you pick up, and as the message is delivered, with flickering lights and slightly dizzy surroundings, you see yourself in the mirror, only to discover that you might be the one you’ve been chasing all along. All you needed was a drop of perfume to transform.
With this last experience, one walks out back into the central core of the fragrance wonderland that was created and can only reflect on what was just lived. The five rooms, all highly unique, represent the legacy and the impact that the house’s scents have created over the years. One that keeps growing and will continue to impact generations to come.
Le Grand Numéro de Chanel is open to the public from December 15, 2022 to January 9, 2023 at the Grand Palais Éphémère in Paris, France. Registration can be done at here.