A spectacular new fragrance exhibition, Le Grand Numéro de Chanel, opens in Paris
This festive season Chanel has brought “an olfactory kaleidoscope” to Paris with Le Grand Numéro de Chanel, an exhibition dedicated to fragrance via a unique sensory adventure. Opening today at the Grand Palais Éphémère – a venue synonymous with the fashion house’s runway collections – the spectacular showcase is free to all visitors until 9 January 2023.
Curated by Thomas du Pré de Saint Maur, Chanel’s head of global creative resources for fragrance and beauty, fine jewellery and watches, the exhibit guides you through different chapters of the brand’s rich fragrance portfolio, cleverly demonstrating the multifaceted beauty of scent: “It’s a moment in time, it’s a creative gesture, it’s a culture object, it’s a metaphor of life,” he tells Bazaar.
Like a captivating cabaret show-meets-museum, expect dancing, live music and magic alongside archive fashion displays, art installations, history lessons, expert consultations, and virtual reality immersions.
Chanel
Chanel
Chanel
Chanel
Thomas tells us that he wanted to tell the story of Chanel’s fragrances in a way that was dream-oriented, to capture the unbridled magic of Christmas. Firstly, it brings an exuberant storefront display to life. “In England at Christmas you go to Harrods and to Harvey Nichols to see the windows – that was a mesmerising moment as a kid,” he notes. “Here in Paris, you would go to Galeries Lafayette. I wanted to create that feeling where people could get within the window – not just being outside looking in.” Once swept up in this scene the storytelling of scent begins.
Chanel
The concept, Thomas explains, is a response to his feeling that the experience of fragrance has become disjointed. “You look in a magazine or an ad, on a website or influencer post [and see a fragrance], then go into Boots to smell the fragrance – you tend to lose the sense of creation that unites everything,” he says. This is a way of reuniting the craft, and it also aligns with the spirit of the legend behind the brand. “Gabrielle Chanel became Coco on stage, and even when she launched No5 it was a performance – it outdated everything at once and took the world by surprise.” All these elements feed into the funfair theme. “If you can have joy while you learn I think it’s the best way to remember things. You get the most out of it.”
Chanel
The room dedicated to No5 – Thomas’ personal favourite, he tells us – features Andy Warhol artwork that’s never before been shown to the public, as well as an interactive VR experience where you take on the role of perfumer Ernest Beaux in 1921, presenting Gabrielle Chanel with samples of what became the world’s most iconic perfume.
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“We’re in a world where we’re obsessed with technology, but the only purpose of technology is to recreate some kind of physical experience,” Thomas tells us. “What you lose in terms of technology, the technology then brings back – which is probably why there is so much appetite for immersive experiences. At the end of the day, we’re human beings – we need to touch, smell, hear, feel, all together because that’s the way we’re programmed to experience.”
“Human beings need to touch, smell, hear, feel all together because that’s the way we’re programmed to experience”
Chanel
Technology is not only central to the buzzy elements of Le Grand Numéro de Chanel, but it is fundamental to its operation. “With so many people trying fragrances at the same time, we had a big challenge of what we call ‘smell management’ – making sure individual smells don’t travel and overlap. Also, the more the air is saturated, the less you actually smell.” Ergo, they harnessed tech enabling “dry vaporisation of fragrance”, which allows you to feel like you’re in the heart of the fragrance, before it vanishes. “It is almost representative of the mystery of fragrance. It’s there and very present, but it escapes all the time,” he adds.
Consuming fragrance in this three-dimensional way is very different to enjoying the storytelling of scent on social media – something that digital natives Gen Z have become accustomed to. However, there are obvious parallels, Thomas tells us. “TikTok is interesting as it’s very immersive; videos invite you to dive in. It’s a new way of storytelling where people can express their creativity and it’s a performative platform, and I think people want a moment of performance” – whether on- or offline.
Given how perfume is profoundly linked to culture, social media is significantly shaping the fragrance industry today – but while it might mean a loss of loyalty for brands as younger people shake off the notion of adopting ‘signature scents’, this doesn’t concern Thomas. “Now what can be part of forming your identity is this fluidity of the different roles you want to play. That versatility is by itself a definition. People browse more fragrances because they are exploring different facets of themselves.” Gen Z are ultra-curious about fragrance, he notes, “from the craft of it to the honesty of where the ingredients come from and conservation”. Social media is a wonderful space to explore these things. And – for a multi-sensorial experience of the art of scent – we can always rely on Chanel.
Chanel
Chanel
Le Grand Numéro de Chanel runs from 15 December 2022 to 9 January 2023 at Le Grand Palais Éphémère, 2 place Joffre, 75007 Paris. Tickets are free of charge, but is recommended.
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