I have always had a habit of turning ‘regular’ objects into lucky objects. Lucky socks, lucky pens, lucky hats… As someone who is perpetually nervous, it’s comforting to know that luck is on my side — self made or otherwise.
Luck isn’t necessarily a game of chance. Good things don’t just fall into our lives; we attract them, accept them and embrace them fully. And sometimes to experience good luck, you need to take a chance — it’s necessary to do something bold, brave or resistant. That’s when things get lucky.
Luck, chance, fate and superstitions defined my time in Tokyo last week. I was in town with CHANEL Beauty, immersing myself in the new fragrance, Chance Eau Splendide. Composed by CHANEL’s in-house perfumer Olivier Polge, it’s a fortuitous mix of raspberry, rose geranium, violet, cedar and musk. It smells like fun, youth and rebellious energy. A lucky charm; my lucky scent.
I started the trip with a roll of the dice: back-to-back appointments and roughly one spare hour to get packed, hydrated and onto the plane. A consequence of the tight timeline was 30 kilos of luggage (shameful for five days) but mostly exhaustion that caused me to sleep the entire way.
I landed in Tokyo as the sun was rising. It’s definitely my favourite city — orderly, efficient, futuristic but steeped in tradition. The food is incredible, the people are kind, and the simplest things are made beautiful through ritual and considered design. For a mega-metropolis, it’s perfectly serene. But the real exaltation was set to come from the Eau Splendide itinerary: dancing under the Tokyo tower, CHANEL-ified arcade games, a surprise concert from dream girl Angèle (who happens to be the global face of the fragrance) and a conversation with in-house perfumer, Olivier Polge. Here’s a brief teaser, but you’ll be able to read the complete conversation in the pages of our upcoming issue of RUSSH.
A quick story about Olivier — his father, Jacques was CHANEL’s perfumer from 1978 until 2015. He’s the nose behind Allure, Bleu, Coco Mademoiselle and the original Chance. Olivier, like most teenagers, rebelled against this legacy but eventually found fragrance on his own terms, assuming his Dad’s position after retirement. So far during his tenure, Olivier has created No. 5 L’Eau, Gabrielle, Comète, Le Lion among others, as well as Chance Eau Fraiche, Eau Vive and Eau Tendre.
As it turned out, luck was definitely the theme of the week: lucky to see the pink sakura, lucky to drink an ice cold Gibson with views of the Tokyo tower, very lucky with the sunshine (t-shirt weather in April was a treat). Also lucky to learn about Chance Eau Splendide, the latest in CHANEL’s Chance collection.
Chance is largely inspired by Gabrielle Coco Chanel’s pioneering spirit. She was bold and unafraid of risk. She was also very superstitious. The House of Chanel is rife with this influence — her lucky number 5, lions (she was a Leo) and other nods to the cosmos. She believed in luck but also hard work; seizing opportunities that came her way. It’s a valuable lesson, especially for someone like me who lacks confidence and conviction more often than not. Say yes, take a bite, take the meeting, have one more drink, one more dance, ask the question, stand behind your decisions and try to shrug off the fear of judgement. Luck happens when you make it yourself.
There is a lot to do in Tokyo, but the main agenda was food and fragrance. As for restaurant recommendations, I have many. Umi for the best-ever sushi (be brave and try the Urchin), Kawakami-An Aoyama for stretchy soba in delicate broth, Nakamura for Tepanyaki in serene settings, and Omino Kamiyacho for Yakitori. Pork fans should also put Katsukami 2 on their list. I need to mention Souai and her husband from Harmony Tea House, as well. Both are experts in tea ceremonies, and took me through the ritual of preparing and drinking traditional matcha. The entire process is slow and deliberate — both the meditative aspect as well as the antioxidant-rich matcha are said to aid longevity. As Souai put it, ‘every day is a good day’.
Perfume-wise, CHANEL made Eau Splendide appeal to all the senses. We started with a party at Star Rise Studios, underneath the Tokyo Tower (all lit up in CHANEL purple, the iconographic ‘CC’ included). Pop star and ambassador Angèle performed the original track, A Little More, as heard in the campaign, all the way through to a melancholic/nostalgic Brittney Spears cover. Walking into the party was actually the first time I experience Eau Splendide, a mix of juicy raspberry, delicate wood and crisp rose geranium (i.e it’s bright and delicious).
We followed the night with CHANEL’s very own arcade and hall of mirrors — games of chance as well as skill (slots, ball toss, etc.) plus many other scented delights. It perfectly captured the energy of Eau Splendide: playful, joyous, teasing but full of promise. A conversation with Olivier was the perfect way to finish. Despite the legacy left by his Dad, the French perfumer is creating in his own way. And as for the moments that will stay with me? The earnestness when he mentioned he’s not so keen on talismans or good luck charms. Olivier prefers to rely on olfactory instincts instead. Still, he’s made some magic regardless.
A photo diary of my time in Tokyo with CHANEL Beauty, and Eau Splendide, below.
1/23 A beautiful Omasake dinner
CHANEL Chance Eau Splendide
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