Chanel No 5
Dr. Sandeep K Krishnan
Chief Executive Officer & Partner, People Business | Author, Visiting Faculty
Chanel No 5 may be have one of the most interesting stories in luxury perfume brands. It led to the fortune for the company and its owners, resentment of it's founder, split with the new partners, and eventually whatever the company could become now.
Coco Chanel, the founder selected the No 5 sample of the options shared by the perfumer Ernest Beaux - whom she had commissioned to include perfumes in her range of offerings. The success of it also encouraged her to grow and also invite two investors - who took 90% of the stake in the company for their investment and business acumen (raw deal ?). With the growth, she also felt so !
Range of fights, exiles, eventual agreements - all led to what Chanel is what it is could become. Was Coco Chanel similar to what has happened to the founders of McDonalds ? May be to some extent - but she had the fighting spirit and circumstances that enabled to her to get a better deal.
Definitely the company has come a long way - from a founder who was often accused as a Nazi spy / sympathizer to having a global CEO with Indian origin - it has probably changed with times! Leena Nair
Chanel is a luxury brand that is in the top of the pyramid - but No 5 is what made what it is.
The pic attached is very special to me - my daughter painted it :)
Truly well penned & succinctly articulated with depth & passion . One can feel the wafting of Channel 5 coming through subtly. Your daughter's depiction brings out the message in various hues. Leena will take Channel to the next level which it truly deserves. A perfume of choice