Chanel Speaks out After Getting Mocked by Social Media for $1,000 Holiday Item

By Allison Schonter

Chanel is apologizing for any possible disappointment after a recently-introduced holiday-themed item with an almost $1,000 price tag had social media up in arms. In late October, the luxury fashion brand revealed its first-ever advent calendar in honor of the 100th anniversary of its famous fragrance, Chanel No. 5, though the contents of the Chanel advent calendar led many to dub it a "waste of money" and "a rip off," eventually sparking a response from the brand itself.

In a statement to the Toronto Star addressing the controversy surrounding the $825 advent calendar, which is filled with stickers and other items social media users say doesn't equate to the price tag, Chanel said it is "aware of the comments that are currently visible under our publications." Chanel went on to say they are "sorry that this calendar may have disappointed some people." The statement concluded, "the exclusive content of the calendar has always been fully detailed on our website as well as on the packaging of the product: 27 boxes numbered from 5 to 31, containing full-size perfume and makeup products, miniatures and souvenirs all stamped with Gabrielle Chanel's lucky number."

The controversy surrounding the calendar began in mid-October when the Chanel socials shared a first-look at the advent calendar. According to the item's listing on the Chanel website, the calendar is "a first-of-its-kind calendar crafted in the timeless silhouette of the N.5 flacon" and helps Chanel fans "count down to the holidays with this collector's item featuring 27 boxes numbered from 5 to 31, filled with mysterious delights and surprises." The advent calendar, however, was not "a piece to treasure for years to come," as the description promised, with many people who shelled out the $825 instantly regretting their decision as they began the countdown and revealed the surprises.

Across various social media platforms, people showed off the reveals, including TikTok user Elise Harmon, who asked as she unboxed the luxury calendar, "this has to be a joke." It turns out that $825 gets you a key-chain, branded stickers, a letter seal, pins, what appears to be a plastic bracelet, and a few beauty products, including two miniature lipsticks and hand cream. In one video, Harmon said, "when you're buying from a brand like Chanel that is coveted and known for quality and luxury, and you receive something that's like gumball status and free things that they had given away months prior, it's questionable. Similar controversy played out on Chanel's Instagram post, where several people said the advent calendar was "not worth the money." One person even wrote, "such a disrespectful advent calendar to even produce – the amount of stickers is a joke."

As Chanel noted in their statement to the Star, all items included in the advent calendar are listed in the product's official listing on the Chanel website. The calendar includes a miniature bottle of No. 5 Eau de Parfum, a tree ornament, a full size hand cream, a snow globe tree ornament, nail color, a bookmark, a miniature bottle of No. 5 L'EAU, a ceramic bracelet, and several stickers, among other items. The Chanel advent calendar has an $825 price tag.

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