scent of a woman:Did you know that a bottle of Chanel No 5 is sold every 30 seconds? This classic scent, created by Ernest Beaux in 1921, remains Europe's bestselling fragrance almost 90 years later.
Not so well known, however, are the other five Chanel fragrances that were created in the 1920s, although three of them - No 22, Cuir de Russie and Bois des Îles - were revived by Chanel's in-house perfumer Jacques Polge when he took over the olfactory division at the august house in 1978. Sold exclusively in Paris, they still enjoy something of a cult following. This month, the house of Chanel is launching an exclusive - and expensive - range of 10 fragrances to be sold in a handful of outlets around the world. Along with six new fragrances created by Polge, the collection includes four revived scents from the 1920s.
The new perfumes are called after places where Coco Chanel lived. They include: 31 Rue Cambon, named after her Paris headquarters and home; No 18, a rich "ambrette" named after the Ritz at 18 Place Vendome, Paris; Bel Respiro, called after her first country home; the earthy La Pausa after her summer retreat in Roquebrune; and a citrussy eau de cologne.
This collection of old and new fragrances is called Les Exclusifs de Chanel and will be available at Brown Thomas from February 12th, at a cost of €180 per 200ml bottle.
mix and match
Cherry Chau, the Hong Kong jewellery designer, is as zany in real life as the accessories she makes. Her flair for putting unlikely things together is a skill she has had since childhood and was honed during a fashion course in London.
Today, her collections are testimony to her global travels and to her experiments in adapting old techniques for modern usage. From tiny hair clasps of lace trapped in plastic, to dramatic black and gold laser-cut wraps, her use of textiles is always imaginative. There are tweed scarves edged with sequins and ribbons, feathery hair items composed like flower arrangements, brooches made using Napoleonic stamping techniques, and tiger and fox rhinestone brooches.
Prices range from €9 for a thin hairband up to €465 for a wrap. Cherry Chau products are sold at Harvey Nichols in the Dundrum Town Centre in Dublin 14 and at Brown Thomas branches.
inside story
A reader has written in with a plea for designers and manufacturers to put inside pockets in coats and jackets for women, which I heartily endorse. Why on earth can't we have the same design features as men do when it comes to these practical benefits? According to the reader, even inexpensive ranges carry such details in the US, and she is rightly contemptuous of arguments that they "spoil the line". A few inside pockets would save the awful rummaging around in bags for keys, cash or combs. We'd be delighted to highlight any manufacturer or designer taking up the cause.