Ernest Beaux

Ernest Beaux (1881-1961) was a French perfumer of Russian origin, most famous for creating Chanel No. 5, which is widely regarded as the world's most iconic fragrance.

Beaux was born in Moscow to Edouard Hyppolite Beaux and Augustine Wilgemina Misfeld. His grandmother, Jeanne-Cléophée Beaux, had emigrated to Russia in the 1840s. Beaux's half-brother, Edouard Francois Beaux, worked for Alphonse Rallet & Co., the leading Russian perfume house and supplier to the Imperial courts. In 1898, A. Rallet and Company was sold to the French perfume house Chiris, and Beaux completed his apprenticeship in the soap works of Rallet before studying perfumery under the technical director, A. Lemercier.

In 1912, Beaux created the fragrance "Bouquet de Napoleon" to celebrate the centennial of the Battle of Borodino, which was a commercial success. The following year, he created the "Bouquet de Catherine," a now-lost fragrance honoring Catherine the Great. Beaux served in the French army during World War I, seeing combat in the infantry and working as an intelligence officer and interrogator during the Russian Civil War. While serving, many of his colleagues at Rallet fled to La Bocca, France, to continue working with Chiris.

In 1920, Beaux arranged a meeting with Coco Chanel through the help of Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich of Russia, who was a companion of Chanel's. Chanel chose "No. 5" as a Christmas gift for her best clients, and when Beaux asked how she wanted to name the scent, she replied: "I always launch my collection on the 5th day of the 5th month, so the number 5 seems to bring me luck - therefore, I will name it No. 5."

Beaux married Iraïde de Schoenaich in 1912, and they had a son, Edouard. During the Russian Civil War, Iraïde left Beaux for another man, and Beaux took custody of their son. Beaux later married Yvonne Girodon and had a daughter, Madeleine.

Ernest Beaux continued to work for Chanel and other perfume houses throughout his career, leaving behind a legacy as one of the most influential perfumers of the 20th century.