Grasse, birthplace of Chanel No. 5, sees perfume revival

In Grasse, where Chanel n°5 flowers have been cultivated for over a century 12:38

A thousand jasmine flowers go into each 1-ounce bottle of Chanel No. 5 perfume, making the flowers crucially important to the iconic perfume launched in 1921.

For over a century, the jasmine flowers used in every bottle of No. 5 have been grown and harvested in the French city of Grasse, where Coco Chanel helped create her fashion house’s signature fragrance.

Most of Grasse’s jasmine is grown by the Mul family who, since the 1800s, have farmed the land for six generations. Joseph Mul, 87, says Grasse jasmine has a distinct scent because, like grapes used in wine, where it is grown is important.

“You can’t put Burgundy in a bottle of Bordeaux,” he said in French. “People will tell you: ‘No, it’s not Bordeaux!’ For the perfumes we make here for Chanel, it’s exactly the same thing.”

How a city that smelled bad became a perfume capital

Grasse, located in the hills of southern France where the Mediterranean meets the southern Alps, was known in the 15th century for its booming leather trade, but that trade posed a problem: it made the town stink.

Then came a clever idea: mask the stench by impregnating a pair of gloves with the scent of local flowers. This sparked a new industry.

Flowers were planted and extraction techniques developed. What started as a way to cover up the smell of dead animals became an art form, making Grasse the perfume capital of the world.

Grasse was in its golden age when Chanel arrived in search of the world’s finest and most expensive perfume ingredients. In the early 1900s, the area was in full bloom with 12,000 acres of flower fields.

But over the decades, the farms closed as the French Riviera became a luxury real estate market and cheaper flowers were grown abroad, in countries like India and Egypt. Today there are only 142 acres due to rising property prices and cheaper labor overseas.

“It was sad to see this development, but there was nothing we could do about it. That’s how it happened,” Mul said. “We had to hold on for many years.”

To preserve the scent of No. 5, Chanel relies on jasmine from Grasse, which smells of fruit with a note of green tea. In 1987, the company entered into an agreement with the Mul family to grow and sell flowers exclusively for them – the first time a luxury brand had partnered directly with Grasse farmers, helping to revolutionize the industry.

According to Oliver Polge, Chanel’s master perfumer, who creates new perfumes for Chanel and ensures that classic perfumes smell like they always have, says that jasmine grown in Grasse today smells like jasmine originally used in perfume.

“I think that’s why we’re very careful to maintain the way we harvest jasmine, the way we extract jasmine, and we do it exactly like we did in the beginning,” Polge said.

“The flower in the bottle”

There are more than 80 distinct perfumes in a bottle of Chanel No. 5, whose secret formula is kept in a safe in Paris, but the most important come from Grasse, according to Polge.

Jasmine, a small flower, opens at night and is harvested at sunrise, when the flowers are most fragrant. Each is hand-picked; they are too delicate for machines. The harvest is completed before the midday heat can damage the petals, which are covered with a damp cloth to stay cool.

Workers line up to weigh what they have picked; There are 4,000 jasmine flowers in a pound. The flowers are transported to an on-site factory where the fragrance is extracted using a 150-year-old technique developed in Grasse. Speed ​​is essential. If the flowers turn brown, the scent changes.

“It smells like bad fruit,” Polge said.

Jasmine is placed in a vat and infused overnight, like tea. The process leaves wilted petals and a liquid that cools into a thick wax. Approximately 35 million jasmine flowers fit into a 22-pound wax pot. The wax is turned into a liquid and filtered again to obtain the most concentrated form of jasmine called absolute, which is sent to a factory near Paris where a few drops are poured into each bottle of Chanel No. 5.

The recovery is underway in Grasse

Over the last decade, other major luxury houses have invested in Grasse, linking their brand to its reputation. Lancôme has built what looks like a Barbie dreamhouse on a farm where she grows roses for her perfumes. In the city center, an abandoned perfumery has become a workshop for Louis Vuitton. And Christian Dior’s former estate has been restored, preserving the gardens that inspired the designer’s first perfume.

Since taking office in 2014, the mayor of Grasse, Jérôme Viaud, has worked to revitalize the perfume industry in the region. He helped designate Grasse as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Site, recognizing its centuries-old perfume-making traditions. And he blocked the development of 170 acres of land so that new flower fields could be grown.

“We have everything to succeed,” declared Viaud, emphasizing the “know-how” of Grasse and the “terroir” of the region. “So we think it’s possible and we’re working on it every day.”

As part of Grasse’s revival, one of the world’s largest perfume companies, DSM-Firmenich, has opened Villa Botanica, a private retreat for its top perfumers to discover new scents. Master noses, as they are called in the industry, create perfumes for brands such as Valentino and Gucci. Honorine Blanc, the company’s nose expert, said she believes today’s Grasse is more important to the industry than ever.

“You know why? Because we’re getting back to authenticity,” she said.

Create perfumes today

People don’t realize what goes into developing fragrances, according to Blanc. Sometimes it takes thousands of tries to get the recipe perfect.

“For me, when I come to Grasse, it’s a place where I can slow down and feel the value of an ingredient,” she says. “Because, you know, it’s all speed, speed, speed, speed.”

Today, fine perfumery represents an industry worth more than $20 billion per year, according to market research firm Circana. The industry relies largely on synthetic products bottled in laboratories. Lab-created synthetic perfumes, which Chanel also uses, are essential to modern perfumery, Blanc said.

It’s not just about putting good smells in a bottle.

“You create perfection by balancing the notes[s] who are unpleasant with note[s] that are nice,” she said. “If your apple is too perfect, you say, ‘Oh my god, it’s not organic, it’s not natural.’ Imperfection and this counter-note are therefore very important for your perfume.”