High five: Chanel celebrates its iconic perfume

The month-long exhibition at the Palais de Tokyo in Paris aims to crack the No 5 code. The interactive event, open to the public, offers visitors access to a curated selection of items from the founder’s personal life, such as correspondence, photos and archived objects, connecting her inspiration to specific moments and to the avant-garde movements it spanned.

Featuring photos and mementos from her travels to favourite destinations including Venice, Russia and her Côte d’Azur villa La Pausa, and collaborative artworks from friends such as Cocteau, Picasso and Stravinsky, the exhibition takes visitors on a journey of discovery. 

Alongside the Hermès Festival des Métiers exhibition currently in London, this is a good example of how luxury brands are opening up their archives and brand history, allowing consumers to see the heart of the craft. We call this trend Show Your Working. For more, see our Save Our Artisans microtrend.