To celebrate a century of Gabrielle Chanel’s iconic Nº5 fragrance, the luxury French group that dons her name has deployed an entourage of global pop-ups dedicated to the scent.
Dubbed Chanel Factory 5, the 160sqm ‘factory setting’ space hits Selfridges’ Corner Shop in London this week, and offers a journey around the 17 products in Chanel’s new limited edition line.
Imagined as ‘theme parks’ to immerse shoppers in the Chanel world, the experience is said to be entertaining and immersive.
In the factory-type setting, customers will be led around the new products, following various production lines and workstations, and watch demonstrations.
On Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings, the Selfridges space is said to shift its ‘mood’ to take on a new energy with a DJ set and Factory 5 ink stamp upon entry.
With Nº5 as the main ingredient and adorned in black and white decoration, the brand’s original packaging selected by Chanel herself 100 years ago, the new everyday skus give a nod to the fragrance’s reputation which ‘transforms the ordinary’.
“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,” said Thomas du Pré de Saint Maur, Chanel’s Head of Creative Resources.
“By taking popular consumer items out of their context and dressing them up in the aesthetics of Nº5, we return to Chanel’s first creative gesture: that of transforming a functional object into a desirable luxury item.
“That’s what Chanel Factory 5 is all about: offering the experience of luxury in everyday life.”
Items in the new line include a selection of shower gels, body oils, bath tablets, lotions and creams, as well as product refills and a surprise ‘mystery box’ (pictured).
“As N°5 celebrates its 100th anniversary, Chanel Factory 5 also reminds us that youth is, above all a state of mind, daring to take a step to the side, to have the freedom to be oneself in spite of convention, not to take oneself seriously, to be light without being frivolous,” continued du Pré de Saint Maur.
“To have the audacity to prefer the youth of imagination to the oldness of habit. That’s what this collection says to us.”
Chanel’s Selfridges space will run until 31 July.
Inside Chanel's pop-up experience
