Inside the New Les Extraits de CHANEL Fragrance Collection

In 1921, the most famous fragrance in the world was born, CHANEL No.5. The alluring jasmine-rich fragrance is, as the house says, the “flagbearer of CHANEL’s visionary spirit”. And it is as relevant, and recognisable, today as it was when it was created. “The originality of No.5 grows as time passes,” explains Polge, not only because it remains one of the few representative of its era – many perfumes from the 1920s have disappeared or their formulas have changed – but “because fragrances are no longer created in the way that No.5 is”. The story goes that Gabrielle Chanel asked, then perfume creator, Ernest Beaux what was the most precious ingredient in the fragrance and then requested that he add even more jasmine. The result was up to 1,000 Grasse-grown jasmine flowers in one 30ml bottle, and it is this dedication to pure, raw materials that has made No.5 the icon that it is today and inspired the creation of the Les Extraits CHANEL collection.

“What makes this collection exclusive is precisely the way in which these raw materials are assembled,” says Polge. The flowers are hand-picked, and within hours the essence and absolute are extracted on site, going from flower to fragrance without ever leaving the field in which it was grown. The result is a fragrance of the highest possible quality and expression.

“The Les Exclusifs de Chanel collection is distinguished by privileging raw materials worked in dense concentrations,” continues Polge. “These olfactory expressions are so rich that their sensuality is fully revealed when worn on the skin. The sillage thus becomes unique and deeply personal.”

It is not just the fragrance itself which is crafted by hand, the making and polishing of the bottle as well as the baudruchage technique which seals the juice of the Extrait de Parfum are all skills which have been passed down through generations and are examples of the craftmanship bespoke to Chanel.