From Chanel No. 5 to the 55.55 high jewellery diamond necklace: CEO Frédéric Grangié on how the luxury French brand is celebrating 100 years – interview
- Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel revolutionised the world of fragrances when she created the first ‘perfume for women, with a woman’s scent’ in 1921
- In 1932 came her high jewellery collection Bijoux de Diamants; today, the brand has created a stunning 55.55 carat diamond necklace to show at 18 Place Vendôme
Diamonds, the number five and the scent of freshly cut flowers are a few of Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel’s favourite things. A firm believer in the powers of a lucky charm, Chanel transformed her favourite symbols into the house’s most emblematic icons. These symbols have, over the past century, found their way into everything from her high jewellery collection, fashion and fragrance, down to the unmistakable black and white packaging that accompanies the acquisition of every Chanel item.
Creating the first women-inspired fragrance is just one of many firsts Gabrielle Chanel conquered throughout her career. Almost a decade later in 1932, the designer expressed her love for diamonds through a high jewellery collection, Bijoux de Diamants.
Celebrating these two historic milestones in the world of women’s fashion and luxury lifestyle, Chanel unveils a new high jewellery necklace inspired by an amalgamation of Gabrielle Chanel’s favourite things. The result, as Chanel’s CEO Frédéric Grangié reveals in the interview below, is a breathtaking high jewellery piece in the classic silhouette of Chanel N°5 expressed through 55.55 carats of pure brilliance, as well as the Collection N°5, a 123-piece collection that takes on the allure of Chanel’s most iconic fragrance.
Tell us about the 55.55 necklace
In 1921, the first “perfume for women, with a woman’s scent”, composed by Ernest Beaux with Gabrielle Chanel, caused an outcry. From the absolute modernity of the fragrance and the purity of the bottle to the mystery of the name, the N°5 perfume revolutionised the world of perfumery. In 1932, Gabrielle Chanel revolutionised another universe: that of French high jewellery with her one and only collection in platinum and diamonds. These Bijoux de Diamants, whose centenary we will soon be celebrating, heralded new ways of wearing and took jewellery into another realm, that of allure.