Chanel

Ernest Beaux

Ernest Beaux is a French perfumer of Russian descent who created the most famous perfume in the world. In 1920, he met Coco Chanel, and she picked one of his aromas – the one coming from a vial numbered with a 5 – as a Christmas gift for one of her best clients. When Ernest asked her what name she would like for the perfume, she replied: ‘I show my dress collection on the fifth day of May, the fifth month of the year. We shall keep the number it already bears, and this number will bring good luck.’ Beaux continued working for Chanel until the end of his career, leaving behind a legacy, which turned him into one of the most influential perfumers of the 20^th century.