Scent-sational set design

By Rhiannon McGregor 22 : 09 : 2016 Chanel : Mirror Mazes : Es Devlin

London – Chanel and i-D have collaborated with set designer Es Devlin to create an immersive installation that celebrates scent.

Mirror Maze was commissioned by The Fifth Sense, a new online platform for creative women
Chanel has created a one-off fragrance that can only be experienced inside the installation space

Visitors enter the maze through a hole in a video wall that opens out into an expanse of mirrored surfaces. Inspired by the mirrored staircase inside Coco Chanel’s Paris apartment, the installation is designed to confuse visitors.

The installation’s four rooms are each linked by an oval-shaped opening to heighten the sense of disorientation, while the mirrors and a video piece surrounded by water aim to invoke the sensation of falling – something that Devlin feels is strongly tied to scent. A one-off scent designed by Chanel perfumer Olivier Polge fills the space.

‘I wanted to slightly turn the tables. My work normally has the audience outside and the performer elevated and broadcasting, and I wanted the visitor or guest to be welcomed into the art piece,’ Devlin told Dezeen.

The Big Picture

Brands are looking for new ways to express fragrance beyond the usual tropes. For more, see our Activate on Le Cinéma Olfactif. LS:N Global is reporting live from London Design Festival 2016 throughout the week.