PARIS - Environmentalists have added Marilyn Monroe's pyjamas to their list of potential ecological disasters, Paul Webster reports. A boycott of the world's most famous scent, Chanel No 5, which the star said was her only nightclothes, is now in the air.
No 5's secret formula, more heavily guarded than that of Coca Cola, has not changed since it was invented by Ernest Beaux in 1920. But sharp-nosed environmental detectives say the core of the fragrance comes from a rare Amazon tree known as Pau Rosa or Aniba Ducker.
And while it needed only a few drops to make Marilyn Monroe feel almost overdressed, the hundreds of gallons of essential oil needed to keep the rest of the female population smelling nice have allegedly all but wiped out the 60-metre high perfumed trees.
Yesterday, the European environmental group, Robin des Bois, said it was ready to do battle with the fashion and perfume house. According to UN figures, 3,000 trees a year have to be cut down to provide the 30 tonnes of scented oil supplied to the world's perfume makers.