*notcot in design , 00:57

Chanel Proportions- 09.08.07

chanelbottlemain.jpgOf the many stories, myths, and just all around Chanel lore that i can’t seem to get out of my head yet (expect a few more posts just so i can clear my head)… the one i woke up with that was driving me crazy was that Coco Chanel designed her first Chanel No.5 bottle to perfectly match the shape of Place Vendome (where the Ritz is, and where she basically lived… although her apartment for inspiration and taking guests was just behind it on Rue Cambon… but more on that in a few days). They also claim that it is unknown whether this matching shape was intentional… and its not like THEY had google maps back in 1921. So i HAD to check. The designer in me had to know for sure, while the rational part of me assumed the Chanel folks wouldn’t just make something like this up. And as you see, they weren’t kidding. Below, more images… and also some quick pics from the Assouline set of Chanel books they left on my bed… its really fun to see the old sketches of the bottles, and even how they have evolved over the years… but still fit the Place Vendome proportions.

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8 Notes

Hi - loved your post about Place Vendome. Out of curiosity, I wrote to Chanel to see what they said about the story. They said it’s the bottle stopper that’s modeled on Place Vendome. Check out http://www.been-seen.com/article.cfm?id=10737
Can you do the pic again with the bottle stopper instead? It’d be great to see it. Thanks - Roshan

----- Roshan 13.06.08 16:55

HI,

thanks you for the picts, we would like to buy the one with PLace Vendome. Who does it belong to?

thanks you.

----- d'ussel 15.05.08 03:22

this is SO cool!

----- shopdiary 12.09.07 10:16

jean,

what a crazy, fascinating discovery.
and what a waste of time!

----- Jaques Juques 11.09.07 00:38

your picts are great, beautifull views of Paris and Chanel history…

----- The Sortorialist 10.09.07 09:15

Bravo! I did research too on CHANEL mytic N°5 when i was in Business school to undernstand the key success factors. Zoom on the bottle, slicy changes have been operating to follow the actual trends of design in order to keep always the images of the essens out of the time. Grate!

----- jul 09.09.07 03:41

Jean,
What a great piece of fashion folklore!
That is so interesting! great story and history.

I missed you at lunch 2.0 yesterday…
laura

----- Laura Sweet 08.09.07 09:25

that is fascinating!

----- susie 08.09.07 08:09


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