The house
Chanel was founded in 1910 in Paris (France) by Gabrielle Chanel as a millinery boutique. The house entered perfumery in 1921 with Chanel N°5, composed by Ernest Beaux, which became one of the most commercially successful and critically discussed fragrances in the twentieth century. The collaboration between Gabrielle Chanel and Ernest Beaux defined an aesthetic of aldehydic floral abstraction that would influence the broader perfumery industry throughout the following decades.
Chanel maintained an in-house perfumery direction, with Henri Robert and later Jacques Polge holding the role of house perfumer before Olivier Polge succeeded his father. The Les Exclusifs collection, launched in 2007 as a direct-boutique line, brought several historical reconstructions and new compositions to a more restricted distribution channel, positioning Chanel directly within the niche perfumery conversation.
On Osmetheca, Chanel is represented by four fragrances: Chanel N°5 (1921), the founding aldehydic floral; Cuir de Russie (1924), also signed by Ernest Beaux, a landmark leather floral; and 28 La Pausa (2007), from the Les Exclusifs collection, signed by Jacques Polge, a powdery iris composition.
Perfumes on Osmetheca
The following Chanel fragrances are documented with full profiles on Osmetheca. Each entry includes launch year, perfumer attribution and olfactive family.
| Year | Perfume | Perfumer | Olfactive family |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1921 | Chanel N°5 | Ernest Beaux | Aldehydic floral abstract |
| 1924 | Cuir de Russie | Ernest Beaux | Leather floral oriental |
| 2007 | 28 La Pausa | Jacques Polge | Powdery iris floral |
| 2007 | Coromandel | Jacques Polge, Christopher Sheldrake | Amber oriental woody |