Grasse, birthplace of Chanel No. 5, sees perfume revival

One thousand jasmine flowers go into every 1 ounce bottle of Chanel No. 5 parfum, making the blooms critically important for the iconic scent launched in 1921. For over a century, the jasmine blossoms used in each bottle of No. 5 have been grown and harvested in the French town of Grasse , where Coco Chanel helped craft the signature fragrance for her fashion house. Most of Grasse jasmine is grown by the Mul family, who, since the 1800s, has farmed the land for six generations. Joseph Mul, 87, says Grasse jasmine has a distinct scent because, like grapes used in wine, it matters where it's grown. "You can't put Burgundy in a bottle of Bordeaux," he said in French. "People will tell you, 'No, that's not Bordeaux!' For the fragrances we do here for Chanel, it's exactly the same thing." How a town that smelled terrible became a perfume capital Grasse, located in the hills of southern France, where the Mediterranean meets the southern Alps, was known in the 15th century for its booming leather trade, but that trade came with a problem: It made the town stink. Then came a clever idea: to mask the stench by infusing a pair of gloves with the scent of local flowers. It sparked a new industry. Flowers were planted and extraction techniques were developed. What began as a way to cover up the smell of dead animals grew into an art form, establishing Grasse as the perfume capital of the world. …