Chanel launches Factory 5 collection and pop-ups for N°5 centenary

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Jun 23, 2021

Star product anniversaries are often big news and when the anniversary is Chanel N°5 reaching 100 years old, it’s clear that the luxury giant would mark that fact with a bang.

It has unveiled a new Factory 5 Collection, which comprises 17 limited edition beauty products featuring the heritage scent and inspired by everyday objects. That means a quirky combination of products such as shower gel packaged in a paint tin and bath tablets in a tea tin. 

As well as creating some desirable limited editions, the theme also harks back to Gabrielle Chanel’s original disruptive approach to the fragrance segment. “N°5 has subverted their functions, demonstrating once again that luxury is in the experience we have of things,” the company said.

Thomas du Pré de Saint Maur, Chanel’s Head of Global Creative Resources Fragrance and Beauty, explained the thinking behind the everyday objects: “There can be as much value in products that we use regularly as in products that we use for very special occasions. It’s all about the experience these products give you.” 

Coming in the brand’s signature black and white, he added that the products feature “ultra-modern design entirely dedicated to the transformation of N°5 into collector’s items, the products pass from mechanical conveyor belts into the hands of Chanel experts who perpetuate a tradition of excellence”.

The line debuts on June 29 in key shopping cities globally with experiential pop-ups to support the launch.

These pop-ups, “imagined as theme parks dedicated to N°5, immerse people in a world which mixes the black and white identity of N°5 and the bright colours of pop culture”, the company explained. “The experience is intended to be entertaining and offers a journey around the 17 products. In a factory setting, the public follows the product through the various production line workstations and ends its journey with a visit to the factory store where they can watch playful, offbeat demonstrations”.

There’s also a digital experience for those who can’t access the pop-ups in person.