Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel—a famous French fashion designer and founder of the Chanel brand. Chanel No. 5 helped make Chanel international because it allowed millions of women to own a piece of Chanel without buying expensive couture clothing. The perfume succeeded for several reasons: * A revolutionary scent: Perfumer Ernest Beaux used aldehydes to create a complex, abstract fragrance—not simply the smell of one flower. * Strong branding: “No. 5” sounded mysterious and modern.