When it comes to iconic fragrances, there aren’t many who do it better than Chanel. ‘N°5’, ‘Coco Mademoiselle’, and even ‘Chance’ have become perfume classics, and now they’re being joined by a new scent sister. Introducing ‘Gabrielle’, the first major fragrance launch by Chanel in 15 years and the first creation by the fashion house’s new Master Perfumer, Olivier Polges.
The perfume’s launch party took place in Paris after last week’s couture show and was (of course) studded with the A-list elite, including the face of the fragrance Kristen Stewart. Also in attendance were Pharrell and Katy Perry, who put on an epic joint performance. Launching in the fall of this year, it’s safe to say ‘Gabrielle’ has gotten the fashion and beauty world very excited – and for good reason, too. Here’s what you can expect from the stunning new scent.
The Name
Everything about the fragrance has been inspired by Gabrielle Chanel, who you may know better as Coco Chanel. The house founder was a strong, free-spirited, and independent woman who overcame every obstacle thrown her way to become one of the world’s greatest designers and female icons. This scent celebrates her formidable spirit and femininity, conveying her untameable temperament and loving soul.
With this launch closely following that of Karl Lagerfeld’s new line of “It” bags named after her, 2017 is clearly set to be the year of Gabrielle.
The Smell
Described as an “abstract floral”, the scent is literally bursting with a bouquet of notes, including jasmine, tuberose from Grasse, ylang ylang, and orange blossom. Working closely with Chanel’s Fragrance Creation and Development Laboratory, Polge focused on white flowers and sought to give them a new voice, harnessing the power of petals by carefully selecting notes to accentuate them. There’s milky sandalwood to strengthen the creaminess of tuberose; blackcurrant, mandarin peel, and grapefruit zest to boost the freshness of the orange blossom; and white musk to add to the velvetiness of the ylang ylang.
The Bottle
Although at first glance the bottle looks similar to that of ‘N°5’, it’s actually the first of its kind for the fashion house as it’s the thinnest bottle ever created by Chanel and took years to perfect. A truly unique fragrance deserves a truly unique bottle, and having such fine glass allows light to radiate the scent fully, with every facet reflecting it to create a gorgeous gleam.
There’s also a golden-silver matte lamé color used on the stopper and to adorn its case, which is directly inspired by the Haute Couture fabrics preserved in Chanel’s Heritage Department. This is definitely a perfume that deserves pride of place on your dressing table.
For an exclusive look at the making of the bottle, browse through the gallery below.
