Arguably the world’s most iconic perfume, CHANEL Nº5 has been worn by everyone from Marilyn Monroe to Nicole Kidman. Developed in 1920 by celebrity perfumer Ernest Beaux, it was the 5th blend out of many different choices presented to Coco Chanel, picked because five was her lucky number.

One of the first fashion houses to develop a fragrance, Coco Chanel wanted to create a scent that resonated with her love of cleanliness and epitomised her as a modern woman. By adding the chemical aldehyde, Beaux was able to add light notes of soap and powder to the fragrance and make it last longer on the skin, thus creating a scent that was feminine yet clean and characterful. The perfume was a success even before it launched – during a celebratory dinner with Beaux and friends, Coco sprayed it around their table, and each woman who passed asked what the scent was.

The iconic bottle was equally pioneering with its simple design and pared-back label, a contrast to the highly flamboyant and decorated perfume bottles of the time. Fittingly, Coco Chanel was the first ‘face’ of the perfume in 1937, and a host of celebrities have followed, most recently Lily-Rose Depp for CHANEL Nº5 L’Eau.