Things are about to get more fragrant in the Meatpacking District thanks to Chanel N˚5. From May 7-17, the iconic fragrance will be the subject of a free public exhibit entitled “N˚5 in a New Light.” A celebration of the seductive scent, the show offers an olfactory exploration into “the creation, cultivation, composition, abstraction, and revelation of the world’s first modern fragrance.”

Chanel N˚5’s origins date back to the 1920s when Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel enlisted celebrity perfumer Ernest Beaux to create “a woman’s perfume, with a woman’s scent.”  Beaux played around with floral blends and added aldehydes to the mix. Aldehydes are synthetically produced materials, which when used correctly act as aroma boost. Chanel selected Beaux’s fifth test scent and so was born the perfume that endures as the world’s best selling fragrance (one bottle is sold every 30 seconds!).

Expect the exhibit to be accessibly posh. Fans of the fragrance may recall the splash Chanel N˚5 made a six years ago when May 5, 2009 was designated by New York City as Chanel N˚5 Day. Saks Fifth Avenue hosted a pop-up and part of Fifth Avenue was renamed Avenue N˚5 for the week. Chanel, the brand, also isn’t exactly new to the Meatpacking District. In 2010, Chanel had a temporary boutique at Jeffrey New York.

It appears, this pop-up is independent of Jean-Louis Froment’s famed N°5 Culture Chanel exhibitions. Those exhibits provide a more in depth look at the history and legacy of the perfume, and to date, have been staged in Moscow, Tokyo, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and most recently in Paris.  

Reservations are now being accepted to take a multi-sensory tour. You can sign up here for a 30-minute slot. For those who don’t register in advance, there will be also be general admission line. 

(N˚5 in a New Light is open to the public from May 7-17, 12pm-8pm. It is located at 461 W. 14th Street at 10th Avenue, New York City)