Exploring Prada's new animated comics featuring Léa Seydoux
Over the past three years, we've seen Candy (that's Prada's Candy girl, played by Léa Seydoux) in various guises. In 2011, she starred in Jean-Paul Goude's short performing a provocative dance with her piano teacher. Two years later, we saw her cavorting in Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola's series of films. Her latest unveiling, to celebrate the release of Prada Candy Florale, sees Candy in an elegant comic strip penned by celebrated illustrator Francois Berthoud.
Blended by Daniele Andrier (the nose begind the two previous Candy incarnations) the fragrance evolved from the concept of an imaginary flower created expecially for Candy. The result is a a romantic and powdery composition containing accords of limoncello sorbet at the top, flower of peony in the heart and a base composed of benzoin, musk, caramel and honey.
Berthoud's comic strip is rendered using black and pink, a two-tone technique which references early comic strips. Comics in the sense they are known today – connecting panels of images displaying a chronological story – have existed for centuries. Trajan’s column, the Bayeux tapestry and Greek friezes. One of the first creators of a purposeful comic was William Hogarth with his Rake’s Progress series of paintings. It was in the 19th century that serialised comics, with captions that appeared weekly and were often satirical and mocking, began to take over the newstands. Popular examples include Punch, the Beano, Garfield and Peanuts.
Prada Candy Florale is available as 30, 50 and 80ml Eau de Toilette now.
Text by Laura Bradley