Beauty Boom! Chanel N°5 L’eau Teams Up with CoCo Noir

Q&A in Helsinki

How do you mix and match with Chanel N°5 L’EAU with CoCo NOIR? 

To my nose, N°5 L’EAU is a floral Aldehyde fragrance, while NOIR is an oriental woody touch. When feminine/ying meets up rather masculine/yang, the conflicts inspire more of compelling attention and imagination. Chanel N°5 L’EAU was launched in autumn 2016 by Olivier Polge, while Coco Noir was created by Jacques Polge and Christopher Sheldrake in 2012. We do not over-interpret Icarus myth at French fragrance industry, yet still father-and-son competition occurred while Jacques was succeed by his son, in 2013, as Oliver the new Creator of Chanel Fragrances. Even several critics expressed their disappointment that Jacques Polge hadn’t opted to create more of ‘authentic Chanel eau de parfum’ onto Coco Noir, quite on the alternative opinion, my deep favour in Coco Noir is that its stronger cologne odour truly gives out the Le Boy elements of Chanel, reflects perfectly the golden age of Monsieur Karl Lagerfeld conquering the Empire of Chanel. 

 

What’s the notes of Chanel N°5 L’EAU & CoCo NOIR? 

Chanel No 5 L’Eau Top notes are Aldehydes, lemon, neroli, Mandarin orange, bergamot and lime; middle notes are Ylang-Ylang, jasmine and May rose from Grasse; base notes are white musk, Orris roots, cedar and vanilla. Coco Noir begins with grapefruit, bergamot and orange; middle notes are rose, geranium, jasmine, Narcissus and peach; base notes are Pitchouli, Sandalwood, Olibanum, Tonka bean, vanille, white musk, cloves and benzoin. Noticing that tope notes both carry orange and bergamot, plus the middle tones are rosy and jasmine smells, therefore, mix and match, back and forth with each other is at fun and in great harmony. 

 

What are the fun facts behind N°5 L’EAU?

Chanel N°5 L’Eau is the flanker that aims to capture the younger, millennial audience; therefore, the face of the campaign is the daughter of Vanessa Paradis and Johnny Depp. Lily-Rose Depp. The main nose Olivier Polge has been working on this composition since 2013. Comparing to the contrasts between L’eau and Eau Premiere, that L’eau has its lemony, sharp side in the way Eau Vive is, while Eau Premiere is creamy and balsamic, but both owns the similar dry down. 

 

How do you find deeply favour in CoCo NOIR? 

Perfumer Jacques Polge declares that Coco Noir reminds him of Coco and Coco Mademoiselle, that makes him continue exploring an entire esthetic range of CHANEL perfumery, a range that distinguishes itself from the floral, one that is illustrated by Bois-des-Iles and Cuir de Russie. It’s how Polge calls the CHANEL Coromandel culture, from Coco Chanel’s apartment in Paris. 

 

From the journey of creating, in 1984, legendary Jacques Polge created Coco, that sumptuous blend of wood, resins, flowers, spices and fruit, which, is a treasure trove of ‘splendours and an endless source of discovery and sensual delight in Venice’. Coco Mademoiselle debuted in 2001, a breath of air that lightens this cornucopia of fragrance, in which everything is simplified and accelerated in a radiant burst of fruit and flower. And in 2012 we have Coco Noir, a great nocturnal Baroque found. From the profound fragrance created by Polge, as if we have take yet another journey in the wake of a Gabrielle who fully embraced the dazzle of black and Venice, incorporating them not only into her creations but into her life.

How do you recreate the setting of photography of N°5 L’EAU and CoCo Noir?

I am a big fan of eau de parfum, besides paying attention to the official commercials, that creating my very own version of beauty campaign stimulates my deeper understanding of layout composition and colour usage. Usually I would decide the whole tone of the series of the photography, and collect the related gadgets or tools to make the subjects under the camera lenses emerging their very own characteristics. For instances, since N°5 L’EAU and CoCo Noir are transparent and black tones, the major accessories, such as Chanel mini shopping bag, perfume trial papers, travel sizes mascara, eye gels and N°5 L’EAU mini twist 7ml, are either black or white. I adopt rose buds and dried rosy leaves on table, indicate their middle notes ingredients, and 2020 Christmas limited edition silver camellia and golden velvet ribbons complete more of gift-season merry, all show the diversity of Chanel products. Chanel Le Rouge echoes the colours of rose buds, and last but not the least, purple orchid bouquet is my 2020 birthday gift from Chanel Helsinki, complete the whole holiday mood beauty campaign!

Art Attack: Coco Chanel Meets Marilyn Monroe at Kämp Galleria, Helsinki

K1 Kämp Galleria Finnish Museum of Photography, Helsinki 

20 August- 20 December 2020

 

Due to the majority of art events in Helsinki have been canceled after the lockdown since March 15th, the debut photography exhibitions open to the public in August at the renewed Kämp Galleria offer the residents a lovely magic. The new space of the Finnish Museum of Photography is located on the ground floor of Kämp Galleria (K1 for Kämp and in Finnish Kerros 1 as Floor 1) presents the legendary fashion designer Coco Chanel and Hollywood actress Marilyn by the Canadian photographer Douglas Kirkland (b. 1934). Kirkland had a long career in Hollywood and he photographed Marilyn Monroe and Coco Chanel when he was working for LOOK magazine in New York at the beginning of the 1960s.

 

These photographic series introduce two very different iconic women who understood the power of the visual in creating impressions. After the photo shoot for the legendary series An Evening with Marilyn, Marilyn Monroe, furiously, cut all the negatives into pieces that did not live up to her high expectations. Coco Chanel, on the other hand, already at a mature age, did not let Kirkland observe her at the Paris Fashion Week until the young photographer had proven his skills in fashion industry.

Viewed from post-modern perspective, the photo shoots of Marilyn and Chanel give an intriguing glimpse into an era in which large-circulation magazines and advertising had transformed the photograph into an essential promoter of modern global consumer culture. The two narrative photographic series dating back 60 years embody both Hollywood’s adoration of movie stars and the history of Parisian fashion. The entrance of K1 Kämp Galleria placing a large bed covered with off-white bed sheets, stimulates the An Evening with Marilyn shooting setting, for the wall of Marilyn, the crimson hue indicates the rouge she loves to apply, or, the indication of her mysterious death. Coco Chanel created the iconic the ‘Little Black Dress’, released the bag from mere hands to shoulders and tailored the padded jackets into tweeds; her black-and-white signature design inspire the monotone of K1 Kämp Galleria exhibition. 

 

With rich memoir of Marilyn and Chanel, the curators of K1 fail to illustrate more detailed information of each Douglas Kirkland’s photography. The visitors can easily pass through a simply 100 square-meters exhibition space and terminate the whole journey within 15 minutes, spending 12 EURO admission fee, in mind without loading any further informative knowledge. K1 as well forgets the insightful introduction to Doulas Kirkland’s education background, his contribution to LOOK magazine in New York, or the process and ‘quotes’ to work with Chanel or Marilyn, puts the photographer an invisible being; though K1 Kämp Galleria fiercely promotes the photographer’s name at entire Helsinki centre for the whole summer 2020. 

 

At rear section of the exhibition, Finnish multi-media artist MUNALISSU mocks the British royal family, plays the fashion outfits in a rather humour way and develops Trump era yet to another funny satire level. I have a lot of fun and discover Munalissu highly comic.