This is a book designed by Irma Boom for Chanel. The whole book is printed by embossing instead of ink. Irma Boom carved the classic story of Chanel on the white paper, thoroughly injecting the spirit of N°5 in the thickness of 5cm paper.
My screenshot (Book, No. 5 Culture Chanel, 2013)
The special of this book is that there are no printed words in the book. All the content is composed of paper with special lines and texture. Irma Boom gives the page a special process, such as fragrance. So that readers could vaguely smell the fragrance of Chanel in the process of reading. By embossing the pattern of the float, readers are guided to read by touch, and they can smell the scent of perfume while reading. The process of reading combines the senses of smell and touch to create a unique reading experience.
My screenshot (Book, No. 5 Culture Chanel, 2013)
In this project, the main concept of Irma Boom is ‘almost non-existent, yet very present‘(2015, p. 22).
Leijonhufvud, 2013
Irma Boom insists that this book is the ultimate book. Because it only exists as a book, it cannot be read in PDF or other electronic formats on the Internet.
By the digital publishing industry developing rapidly, its existence also shows the irreplaceability of paper books. Its paper texture and the way it reads by smell and touch could give readers an immersive experience. In addition, it is not reproducible, which makes it more valuable for collection. I think Irma boom not only showed her breakthrough in conception, but also challenged the expression form of the book.
Reference
Lommen, M., (2015)’Irma Boom: Autonomously assigned’, Parenthesis, pp. 21–23.
Picture source
Book, No. 5 Culture Chanel (2013) [Screenshot]. Available at: https://book-as-exhibition.org/Book-No-5-Culture-Chanel-2013 (Accessed: 13 July 2021).
Leijonhufvud, J., 2013. Irma Boom designed a book for the perfume Chanel No. 5. [image online] Available at: https://www.wired.com/2013/11/a-beautiful-book-printed-without-ink/ [Accessed: 15 July 2021]
