A Place In The Sun

Chanel’s exploration of the harsh French Alpine region uncovers an unlikely plant with exceptional revitalising results for the skin. Elizabeth Lee finds out more about this wonder ingredient in Hong Kong.

- Elizabeth Lee

WHEN CHANEL SETS OUT to study the properties of various plants around the world, it doesn’t do things in half measures. After successfully creating an open-sky laboratory in Madagascar for the cultivation of the vanilla planifolia plant—a key ingredient in the Chanel Sublimage range—the French Maison turned its attention back to its homeland, and a revolutionary new product, the Chanel Sublimage L’Essence Lumière, was born.

Imagine this: in a garden in the south of France, there are hundreds of wildflowers, that hail from a biodiversity hotspot within the French Alps, growing and flourishing. To ensure that these botanical treasures grow in the best circumstances, much effort was taken by Chanel Research to ensure that the climate and conditions found here mimicked the Alpine region.

Nicola Fuzzati (pictured, right), ingredients innovation and development director for Chanel Research, is in charge of this massive undertaking, which he initiated in 2010. We sat down with Fuzzati, along with Chanel international scientific communications director, Armelle Souraud, in Hong Kong to learn more about the groundbreaking research.