The camellia has been associated with Chanel since 1913. Gabrielle Chanel's favorite flower was also a fashion accessory — after the designer pinned one to her belt, she decided to make it her label's symbol. Throughout Chanel's existence, the flower has been a consistent motif.
There are those that say Chanel's passion for le camélia began when the love of her life, Arthur “Boy” Capel, gave her a bouquet of the blossom. Although, others are of the belief her love of le camélia, could have begun as a child with the allure of the flower in Alexander Dumas' book, La Dame aux Camélias.
We love how Chanel has kept true to herself and adds a personal touch to all her pieces. In Asian cultures the camellia symbolizes longevity, faithfulness, purity, and passion. In Japan more-so the name is translated into “excellence without pretension”. Something that the Chanel brand embodies fully.
In 1913, on the beach of Étretat, France, Coco Chanel was photographed with a camellia fastened to her waistband — a white camellia that became one of her emblems. With her taste for opposites, she would wear it in stark contrast against a little black dress.
“The Camellia, Gabrielle Chanel's favourite flower and a house emblem, worked its way to become an extraordinary raw material for Chanel skincare.
The company uses the flowers to make Chanel No. 5—a perfume that, in the way of a Cavaillon melon or a piece of Sèvres porcelain, comes from a specific place. The roses are Rosa centifolia: “hundred petal” roses, or cabbage roses, their frilly, dishevelled flowers often bowing under their own weight.
A highly complex blend of aldehydes and florals—including rose, ylang-ylang, jasmine, lily of the valley, and iris—layered over a warm, woody base of vetiver, sandalwood, vanilla, amber, and patchouli—this perfume satisfies Chanel's request that No.
See a Camellia in any piece of jewellery, accessory or garment and one can immediately identify the house of Chanel. The Camellia flower is undoubtedly one of the most popular symbols of the fashion house, so much so that it's even included in the brand's packaging.
The Camellia flower is synonymous with Chanel. It is a motif that appears regularly on packaging, bags, clothing, jewellery, and shoes. The Camellia made its first appearance in 1913.
Inspired by the free, passionate personality of Gabrielle Chanel, GABRIELLE CHANEL ESSENCE reveals a voluptuous composition created around jasmine, ylang-ylang, orange blossom, and captivating Grasse tuberose.
Coco Chanel is a style icon. Her chic, monochromatic designs revolutionised the world of fashion and her much-loved camellia flower motif became the instantly recognisable symbol of the brand.
The Chanel Logo: Creation and Design
The simple, strong shapes of the letters evoke the authoritative elegance of simplicity based on Coco's philosophy of “less is more.” The logo is black – a signature color with significant meaning for the house.
One theory is that Chanel was dubbed 'Coco' after the songs she sang ("Ko Ko Ri Ko" and "Qui qu'a vu Coco dans l'Trocadéro?"), but according to an article published in The Atlantic, Chanel claimed "Coco" was short for "'cocotte,' the French word for 'kept woman. '" Either way, it stuck.
White camellia flowers symbolise adoration and care but without any romantic interest.
In the West, they have come to symbolise desire, passion, and refinement. Known for its perfect symmetry it evokes feelings of everlasting beauty which are some of the traits that attracted Chanel to this iconic flower.
In China, the camellia represents the union between two lovers. The delicately layered petals represent the woman, and the calyx (the green leafy part of the stem that holds the petals together) represents the man who protects her. The two components are joined together, even after death.
The lion became her totem animal. She collected lion figurines and made it a recurring theme in her creations, adorning the buttons of her suits and the clasps of her bags and jewellery with its symbol.
WHEAT, A SYMBOL OF PROSPERITY. Wheat is a recurrent theme in Mademoiselle Chanel's apartment. She made it her lucky charm, like a subtle metaphor for creativity that never ends…
For Chanel, the number five was especially esteemed as signifying the pure embodiment of a thing, its spirit, its mystic meaning. The paths that led Chanel to the cathedral for daily prayers were laid out in circular patterns repeating the number five.
In 1921, she created her first perfume, Chanel No 5. It was the first fragrance to bear the name of a designer, and was accompanied by the number five because Chanel had been told by a fortune teller that this was her lucky number.
The number five was the most important of these numbers. The number five first appeared in Chanel mythology in the 1920's when in 1921 the sample number five was selected from the perfume options presented to Ernst Bo which went on to become the famous perfume Chanel №5.
Miss Coco, the effervescent mascot of Mon Coco, was born from the very essence of what the brand aspires to be: exciting, bold, and full of heart. She is the quintessential French girl. Her name evokes Coco Chanel while her style is schoolgirl mixed with high street fashion. She loves macarons, perfume, and posies.
According to The New Yorker, one 30-milliliter bottle (approximately 1.01 ounces) of the French fashion house's signature scent is composed of 1,000 Pégomas jasmine flowers plus 12 Pégomas roses.
The Chanel N°5 Eau de Parfum is a powdery floral fragrance. Neroli, jasmine, and sandalwood notes offer an extravagant and feminine appeal with a hint of mystery. What does Coco Chanel Mademoiselle smell like?
Chanel CHANCE EAU TENDRE Eau de Parfum
This fruity-floral scent with notes of grapefruit and rose is delicate and perfect for daily wear.