No. 5 is more about femininity and accomplishment. What Mademoiselle Chanel has is this whole paradox of being vulnerable and invincible…and impertinent. Gabrielle is really who she was [as Gabrielle]. We really want it to be the expression of who she was at her core as a woman whose values are so modern today…to feature who she was before she became Coco. We’ve done a lot of research with Millennial women around the world and you see very clearly they don’t want to be put in boxes. They want to live their own lives, they want to be themselves, they want to choose their destiny.
— Christine Dagousset of Chanel talks about the brand's upcoming fragrance. Gabrielle, described as an "abstract floral", will debut in June, and will be Chanel's first pillar for women since 2002's Chance. Read more at Chanel Plots Year of Gabrielle – New Scent Included at Women's Wear Daily.
I have high expectations.
Always dangerous
This actually sounds interesting and I’m looking forward to trying it.
I wish they’d given at least a hint of the notes. Sounds like they are gearing very young, which might not work out for me. Was not impressed with Bleu de Chanel, sounds sort of like this is supposed to hit the same market.
Oh, I hadn’t thought of that, but you’re right. It might be young-market targeted. Either way, I’ll definitely try it.
Just read a separate interview. They do say it is not aimed at Millennials, the face will be older than Lily-Rose Depp (not that that’s saying much), and it will cost more than No. 5.
http://madame.lefigaro.fr/beaute/parfum-sac-chanel-lannee-gabrielle-video-defile-200217-129949
Very interesting read…
Re: age of models used in previous Chanel perfume campaigns…”The beauty market has always been defined by a very young communication. After all, we sell beauty, youth and dreams.”
Indeed they do…though not necessarily in that order. And perfume…don’t forget about the perfume.
I hate this so hard. (The launch, not your reporting it, Robin!) The words “Gabrielle Chanel” and “values” barely belong in the same sentence, in light of her extensive collaboration with Nazi Germany. Said collaboration includes, but was not limited to, attempting to use Nazi laws against Jewish property ownership to wrest control of Parfums Chanel from its legal Jewish owners, participating in the 1943 covert operation “Modelhut”, and paying all living expenses for Nazi Chief of Intelligence Walter Schellenberg and his family for seven years until his death in order to avoid being named in Schellenberg’s memoirs. (Source: Hal Vaughan’s Sleeping With The Enemy: Coco Chanel’s Secret War.)
All of which is to say that this millennial woman does not appreciate Chanel comparing us to its founder. Praise her fashion, praise her lacquered Coromandel screens, but “who she was at her core as a woman” was an unusually bad person. I can’t think of one (fully informed) millennial woman who would relate to Gabrielle Chanel, and I truly don’t understand why Chanel as a brand would use this angle.
I would say, because the cult of Coco is working really well for them…they’ve worked it quite assiduously over the past 10+ years, and it’s a big selling point. In terms of pure branding, I really can’t think of a single other brand that has come even close to what Chanel has managed. When you look at other luxury brands generally included in the top 10, Hermes also does well (and is worth more), as does Prada, as does Cartier. Gucci is worth more than Chanel, but to my mind the brand name is much more diluted. Nobody else has managed the sort of reputation Chanel has maintained for Chanel No. 5, despite the fact that it’s about as opposite to current consumer preferences as you can get. And you do not see consumers freaking about an upcoming Gucci fragrance like you do with a Chanel fragrance. Nor are new Gucci fragrances ever announced in WWD with the tone of the article quoted above.
Not arguing with your central point, mind you — she may well have been a bad person. Just saying I don’t think it matters in the least for their strategy, which is clearly working.
Agreed with brand strength and cult of ‘Coco’ – which has stayed VERY strong all these many decades. And in a world where most of the fashion and accessories houses were founded by men and the initial designs were done by men, Chanel has a certain resonance for many Western(ised) women. I have to say that also that amongst all the brands, you really do feel you are getting your money’s worth with Chanel branded cosmetics, scents and clothing.
Having said all that, Gabrielle herself was a deeply horrible person, sadly common in those WWII days in Europe. Her house, and the scents and such that we all love about it, was rehabilitated by the hipster American women of the 1950s/1960s, and it seemed that they were willing to at least ignore how awful she was to her fellow countrymen in favor of aesthetics.
(I could go on all day! But I have work to do!
)
I really am not arguing with you guys! I was just answering Ari’s question about why Chanel would use this angle. It is working, and it will continue….I would guess not only with Gabrielle, but with more of her associates, as we’ve already seen with Misia and Boy.
Oh dear! If you thought I was arguing with you, I do apologize! I was agreeing with both of youse guys- excellent house and great branding, and the very glamourous youth of Chanel is used to great effect in development and sale of product.
But Coco herself after her youth and during war? *shudders*
Ha, sorry — I didn’t mean to imply anyone thought we were arguing. I just know my response does not address the issues about Chanel the person. I think Chanel quite accurately thinks those issues don’t matter to their strategy. I just didn’t want anyone to think I was trying to minimize the ugly history.
Mr Lagerfeld is doing a great job with the Chanel brand, I wonder if he will get his own perfume in the exclusifs collection one day.
I read an article about him in the WSJ weekend edition. Very interesting lifestyle and work ethic.
But Coco is still the front and center for Chanel no matter much sweat, blood and tears Mr Lagerfeld sheds over the collections. She will always be the brands beacon
He is an interesting person but I’ve seen no attempt so far by the brand as a whole to put him on the same kind of pedestal as Chanel herself — if they did an Exclusif for him during his lifetime, I’d be surprised to say the least.
And I see my work is complete. Thank you for writing this.
I’m very anxious about this.
I hope the bottle and the list of notes soon will be released
Haven’t liked a Chanel scent in a long time. And after the release of the new Les Exclusifs edp, my hopes are very low.
“Abstract floral” lowered my expectations. That makes it sound like every mall perfume currently available, like they didn’t shell out for real flower oils and just went for chemical abstract florals. But I just bought No 5 L’Eau for myself for Valentines, after debating whether to buy that or the new mini Exclusives coffert, so yes, I’m a Chanel hound and will at least smell this one.
I interpreted ‘abstract floral’ to mean ‘not soliflore’, which would be in keeping with Chanel’s approach: with a few exceptions it doesn’t really do soliflores much, and Coco herself reportedly didn’t like them.
Abstract floral makes me think “Chanel No 5.” So I guess we all have different expectations.
Along with the issues Ari raises about Gabrielle the person and her “values,” I’m a little offended by Dagousset’s “We’ve done a lot of research with Millennial women around the world and you see very clearly they don’t want to be put in boxes. They want to live their own lives, they want to be themselves, they want to choose their destiny.”
Because all of us women who are older than that (gen X and baby boomers and etc.) want to be put in boxes and not be ourselves and not choose our own destiny.
That said, of course I’ll try the fragrance. I hope it’s wonderful.
My fantasy of it is that it’ll be a greener Beige! I love Beige but find it just a little too sweet for my migrane prone head. So, something between Beige and Cristalle eau verte (which I think deserves more love than it gets).
I find it quite fascinating (if not impressive, and maybe a little ballsy) that Olivier Polge’s first 2 fragrances as Chanel’s in-house perfumer immortalized individuals significant in the life of Chanel, the woman, and now he’s taking on the Grande Dame herself. It makes me wonder if he chose the subjects himself. If nothing else, it would appear that Polge the younger is ready to establish his own legacy within the story of Chanel.
To my nose, both Boy and Misia are remarkably well-made – and mature, in the best sense(s) of the word. I also find both quite nostalgic, so I will be curious to smell the last of the triumvirate (or will there be more to come?)
Incidentally, Misia is my designated ‘date night at the symphony’ perfume. The first performance I wore it to was a program of Russian Romantics and it accompanied the music so beautifully that I’ve worn it to every concert since. It was only after that first performance that it occurred to me that some of the composers of that era were not only in Misia’s social circle, but close companions.