Andy Warhol‘s Chanel 345 (1985) depicts the elegant bottle of Chanel No. 5, the most iconic fragrance in fashion history. The perfume bottle glows in bold, vivid colors, outlined in Warhol’s signature style. Against a dark gradient background, the bottle seems to radiate light. It looks as if it could be lifted off the page and sprayed. Its geometric shape appears monumental, with the luminous glass and bold lettering emphasizing the perfume’s status as both a product and cultural symbol.
Chanel 354 and the Ads Portfolio
Chanel 354 belongs to Warhol’s Ads series, which features 10 pop art renditions of popular advertisements of the 1980s. Warhol’s fascination with commercial imagery dated back to his early years as an illustrator in the 1950s. By the mid-1980s, he returned to that theme, elevating logos and products into Pop art icons.
The Chanel bottle fit seamlessly into his vision. With only 190 editioned prints, Chanel 354 remains one of the rarest works in the portfolio.
Consumerism and the Allure of Chanel
Warhol understood perfume as more than scent. For him, it was an extension of identity. He once said perfume allowed him to “take up more space.” He collected partially used bottles throughout his life and was even buried with a bottle of Estée Lauder’s Beautiful. Chanel 354 reflects this obsession, capturing perfume as both object of desire and symbol of consumer fantasy.
In Chanel 354, Warhol transforms the perfume bottle into a glowing Pop icon. Its sleek form conveys glamour, wealth, and temptation—the essence of the American Dream packaged in glass. The lustrous bottle holds an irresistible feminine energy. It appeals to a buyer’s desire to acquire beautiful items and the aura of affluence. Chanel No. 5’s status as Marilyn Monroe’s signature scent reinforced this allure. Anyone could buy the perfume and feel, if only briefly, connected to the same glamour as a Hollywood star. In this way, Monroe and Chanel together embodied the accessibility of celebrity through consumer goods—a dynamic that Warhol both exploited and critiqued throughout his career.
Chanel 354 in Warhol’s Larger Body of Work
Warhol’s Ads portfolio, commissioned by Ronald Feldman of Feldman Fine Arts, crystalizes his lifelong obsession with branding. Alongside Chanel 354, the portfolio includes Rebel Without a Cause (James Dean), Blackglama (Judy Garland), Paramount, Van Heusen (Ronald Reagan), The New Spirit (Donald Duck), Mobil, Apple, Volkswagen, Life Savers, and of course, Chanel 354. Each work elevates an advertisement into fine art. Warhol reminds us that logos and packaging hold as much cultural weight as portraits of celebrities.
With Chanel 354, Warhol showed how a perfume bottle could embody both consumerist desire and artistic brilliance. The print remains a vivid example of his ability to merge high art with everyday objects. In doing so, he secured Chanel’s place not just in fashion history but also in the Pop art canon.
Photo credit: Bottle of Chanel “N°5” in its illustrated cardboard case with a polychrome silkscreen print of Andy Warhol showing the bottle of this perfume, the press kit and the illustrated bag. Courtesy of Coutau-Bégarie & Associates.
