Chanel Bleu de Chanel (2010): As Free as the Deep Blue Sea {New Fragrance} {Men's Cologne}
The next big fragrance launch by Chanel this fall 2010 is that of masculine scent, Bleu de Chanel, which came early on to the attention of the internet with the fortuitous and up-to-the-minute revelation that director Martin Scorsese would direct the new commercial for it in the pure tradition of the major productions that Chanel put out for their perfumes. Expect to see the movie via official channels at the end of August. Being an icon of luxury and the name behind an enduring top global bestseller since 1921, the No.5, creates a sense of obligation: noblesse oblige.
Bleu, which means blue in French, is meant to embody an idea of freedom represented by the olfactory note of a deep blue sea, a theme also reflected in the color of the flacon. While it may appear that the idea of sailing away to express liberty is not new, one can note that it authentically is a movement of getting back in touch with Chanel's biography. It furthermore enables to fortify a myth which goes back to the foundational experience of couturière Gabrielle Chanel before she became famous as we know that the seaside was seminal in her outlook on life, fashion, and in giving impetus to her career, in particular through her connections with the elegant Deauville set, the Normandy resort in which she opened her second boutique.
The fact that Coco Chanel's universe is once more tapped into to inspire the creation of a masculine cologne serves only as a testament to the strength of her life itinerary while underlining her own free attitude towards gender conventions and style. Here, the terms "an unscripted life..." can be seen as an homage paid to the founder of the brand.
"The man who refuses to be bound by convention resists the ordinary every day in favor of freedom, and finds satisfaction in the unexpected. His fragrance liberates the senses -- fresh, clean, profoundly sensual -- a signature statement of his determination to live an unscripted life."...
Bleu de Chanel is described as an unabashedly manly composition, it is a "virile, new, woody aromatic fragrance for today's modern man." But what is noteworthy is that at the same time the house does not hesitate to play with the limits of what can be considered today's notion of virility and of a masculine cologne by revealing that in the heart of the fragrance a note of cedar wood is linked with a floral one of jasmine rendering the fragrance more difficult to peg and "beyond genre."
Bleu Eau de Toilette is said to open on an accord of citrus fruits appearing on the airy background of a deep-blue-sea accord. This is followed by a zesty grapefruit and tangy peppermint, pink peppercorn and nutmeg. The citrusy impression is supported further by a note of ginger.
In the heart the cedar wood, as mentioned above, plays with jasmine and mixes subtly with vetiver.
In the base one finds notes of patchouli and frankincense.
The fragrance will debut this fall 2010 preceded by a media campaign which will include the short advertising film "Bleu de Chanel" by Scorsese featuring French actor Gaspard Ulliel. The preview of the scenario line is that it tells the story of a compelling young actor who rebels against the conformist strictures of a lifestyle imposed upon him by his newfound fame.
He seems to embody the new ideal of perfect happiness in this day and age: to become famous yet live like a regular person.
Like all ideals of happiness it might be unattainable and one might have to decide which kind of life is the more authentic and desirable one. For the Chanel No.5 ad by Baz Luhrmann which proposed to examine a similar conundrum, Nicole Kidman ended up going back to the flashes of the limelight after a short tryst and escape into normal life.
Prices for the Eau de Toilette: $59 for 1.7 fl. oz. and $79 for 3.4 fl. oz. The After Shave Lotion is priced at $50 for 3.4 fl. oz.
Via press release
