Inside Grasse, where flowers for Chanel No. 5 have been grown for more than a century
In a Nutshell
Grasse, the perfume capital of the world, originated from masking leather trade odors with local flowers in the 15th century and has supplied Chanel No. 5's signature rose centifolia (12 per bottle) and jasmine (1,000 per bottle) for over 100 years, despite fields shrinking from 12,000 to 124 acres due to real estate and cheaper imports from India and Egypt. Chanel's exclusive 1987 partnership with the Mule family, ongoing revival efforts by Mayor Jérôme Viaud (including UN heritage status and blocked development), and investments from brands like Lancôme, Louis Vuitton, and Dior are restoring flower cultivation in Grasse's unique Mediterranean-Alpine terroir. Master perfumer Olivier Polge and others emphasize Grasse jasmine's distinct grassy-fruity-green tea notes, hand-harvested at dawn and extracted via a 150-year-old process, blending natural and synthetic elements to preserve authenticity in the $20B fragrance industry.
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In 15th century France, the medieval town of Grasse had a problem with the stench of dead animals from its booming leather trade. A clever idea emerged: a pair of gloves infused with the scent of local flowers to mask the stench. This sparked a new industry. Flowers were planted, techniques invented, and what began as a coverup grew into an art form, establishing Grasse as the perfume capital of the world.
In 1921, when Coco Chanel wanted to create a signature scent for her fashion house, she went to this town in the south of France where fields once bloomed in abundance but have faded over the decades. Now, a revival is underway. Flowers for the world's most famous perfume, Chanel No. 5, have been grown and gathered in Grasse for more than 100 years.
This is the rose centifolia, nicknamed the May rose because it blooms in spring. Cultivated in row after pink row, it is a flower worthy of a serenade. Piano notes play over speakers; farmers say the vibrations help the buds bloom evenly. 12 of these roses go into a bottle of Chanel No. 5.
The real star is this tiny white flower, jasmine. It opens at night and is harvested as the sun comes up. 1,000 jasmine flowers go into a bottle of No. 5, giving it the floral scent that has sat on grandmother's dressers for generations.
At Chanel's annual jasmine harvest, Olivier Polge spends many of his working days in the fields of Grasse sourcing flowers. He is Chanel's master perfumer. In the fragrance world, he's known simply as a nose.
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