Prada Reveals Its New Men’s Scent Paradigme, Fronted by Tom Holland

Prada is gearing up for its largest men’s fragrance launch with Paradigme, fronted by actor and entrepreneur Tom Holland.

“I’ve worked with Prada for years now and continue to opt for their clothes on carpets — an environment that usually makes me uncomfortable, and Prada [has] never failed to fill me with confidence when I’m stepping out,” he said in an exclusive interview. “I instantly felt the same the first time I discovered Prada Paradigme. 

“But I also really resonated with the idea of ‘what if there’s another way,’” he continued. “As young people, we are living in a world that is changing rapidly day by day, and the thought of what if there’s another way is a great way for us to tackle new and different challenges. It promotes the idea that change is good as long as it’s for the better.”

Holland does not wear lots of fragrance himself.

“I like things understated,” he said. “But I do think a good scent can make a difference. It’s like…an invisible accessory. It’s not something people necessarily notice right away, but it adds this subtle layer of confidence, of individuality. It can enhance how you present yourself to the world.

“Paradigme, for example, is interesting because it’s complex,” Holland continued. “Sometimes I want something fresh and energetic, sometimes I want something warm and comforting. Paradigme is great for that, because it’s got both.”

His father once bought him a fragrance for Christmas.

“I’ll never forget it because I remember getting a compliment on it from the girl I had a crush on at school,” Holland said. “That was a very good day.”

The same year L’Oréal began operating the Prada Beauty license in 2021, it launched Prada Luna Rossa Ocean men’s scent. That was followed by the Prada Paradoxe women’s scent, with Emma Watson as its ambassador, then makeup and skin care.

“We feel that now is the perfect timing to bring to the market what we hope will become the new masculine signature fragrance of Prada, with this new project,” said Yann Andrea, global president of Prada Beauty and Miu Miu Beauty. “Everything started with a deep insight: We believe that today young men are stuck between two stereotype models of masculinity: On one side, a kind of soft masculinity, and on the other side this relentless pressure to succeed, to be desirable as a strong man.

“That puts a lot of pressure on men,” he said. “Our ambition with this new fragrance was to offer once again a new perspective, an invitation to go beyond these stereotype models.”

That’s very Prada, according to Andrea, who explained “the DNA of the brand is to question stereotypes, conventions and preconceived models.”

Paradigme is meant to invite men to explore different ways of expressing their multidimensional identities in a world ever more uncertain and complicated.

“We questioned ourself how to find the right narrative,” Andrea said. “At Prada, we love paradoxes. We answer that question not with an answer, but with a question: What if there is another way?”

That became the common thread running through the fragrance’s entire development. A quest was to find a name that resonates with Prada’s feminine signature scent but has its own identity, as well.

“We started to find another augmented anagram of Prada,” Andrea said. “We immediately thought that ‘Paradigme’ was the perfect name for this project.”

Though “paradigm” might not be a commonplace word, everyone understands the expression “paradigm shift,” he added.

“We love that, because a paradigm shift was exactly the message we wanted to share with this new fragrance,” said Andrea. “For us, Paradigme is about opening a new perspective, a new way of thinking, of being, of doing.”

Dsm-firmenich perfumers Marie Salamagne, Bruno Jovanovic and Nicolas Bonneville were asked: “What if there is another way of crafting a fragrance?”

 “We did not expect their reaction, because they came back with a truly new way,” Andrea said. That involved flipping the traditional olfactive pyramid on its head to have the fragrance’s base notes — usually revealed only once a perfume dries down — apparent from the outset, rather than the top notes.

Paradigme’s base notes are comprised of balms — Peru balm absolute, benzoin resin and guaiac wood — not typically used in men’s scents and that infuse a warm, sensual, enveloping sensation.

“You can smell them from the first sniff, so this was really a new way of crafting a fragrance,” Andrea said.

In the base, too, is an ambery woody accord and in the heart, a bourbon geranium note with floral, rosy facets.

“They give a vibration in the fragrance,” Andrea said.

Paradigme’s top includes a note of Calabrian bergamot, which he characterized as having a fusing, transversal freshness. The eau de parfum has a sophistication overall.

“It perfectly expresses the vision of masculinity we want to embody,” Andrea said.

The idea was to have a bottle design reinterpreting Prada’s iconic codes.

“The main shape is very timeless, very sophisticated with this angle work in the glass,” said Andrea, pointing out a chamfer, for instance. “At Prada, we love geometry. So it’s all about an interplay of simple, radical geometric shapes.”

The bottle becomes tactile in the hand, revealing some shapes less apparent to the eye.

 “The color is also part of the unexpected design of this fragrance,” continued Andrea, of the unique green hue, which differs from the plethora of dark blue flacons populating the men’s scent market.

Paradigme’s bottle, topped with a black cap like Paradoxe’s, is easily refillable and sustainable.

“When you use the refill, you save 65 percent of glass, 75 percent of plastic and 100 percent of metal versus three 50-ml. bottles,” Andrea said. Fifteen percent of the flacon is made of recycled glass, while the fragrance itself contains numerous biosourced ingredients.

Holland is committed to sustainability, Andrea said.

“We have shot amazing content with him,” the executive continued. “Being responsible, being committed to sustainability is about developing a meaningful perspective on beauty.”

He described Holland as an obvious pick as global Prada Beauty ambassador, “because we were looking for an ambassador who can best embody this new take on masculinity.”

“Tom Holland was the perfect choice,” Andrea said. “He is so much embracing [one’s] multidimensionality with a lot of simplicity and kindness.”

The campaign’s making-of began with discussions with director Thomas Vinterberg.

“I’m obsessed with Thomas and his work, so I was incredibly excited to work with him,” m Holland said. “I’m delighted to say that I was not disappointed. He was a joy to work for.”

The actor had just wrapped filming Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” and was about to start production on “Spider-Man: Brand New Day.”

“We just had an epic two weeks in July in London during Wimbledon and F1 to celebrate my nonalcoholic beer brand Bero, where we took over some of the biggest landmark spots and sporting events in London,” Holland said. 

“Immediately, there was a very great connection between Thomas and Tom,” Andrea said. “It’s interesting when the talent can really bring not only their talents, but also their singular signature to the project. That’s exactly what happened with Tom Holland and Thomas Vinterberg. It’s probably what makes this campaign so unique, true and sincere.”

That will break Aug. 18.

From Prada fashion, Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons were highly involved in Paradigme’s creation, as they have been with all Prada Beauty projects. The new scent is to launch Monday.

“Our ambition is to bring this fragrance into the top 10 of the masculine selective fragrance market,” Andrea said.

He would not discuss sales projections, but industry sources estimate Paradigme will generate about 200 million euros in retail sales during its first year on counters.

Its recommended retail prices include 100 euros for the 50-ml. edp, 140 euros for the 100-ml. edp and 165 euros for the 150-ml. refill.

Over the past four years, Prada Beauty has been developing into a three-axis brand. Prada Luna Rossa Ocean was meant to revitalize the then-existing Prada fragrance portfolio.

“Our objective [with Paradoxe] was to build the signature feminine fragrance of Prada,” Andrea said.

That goal has been reached. Year-to-date, taking into account North America and four key European markets, Paradoxe has entered the top 10, ranking number eight.

In 2023, Prada Beauty launched makeup and skin care. That has been well-received, especially in Asia, including China, Japan and South Korea. Some bestsellers include the Prada Reveal Mesh Cushion foundation, Monochrome Soft Matte Lipstick and the Prada Balm in green and blue.

Prada Balm has also had strong results in the U.S., as has the recently launched Pradascope Lash Lengthening Eye Mascara with a 180-degree grip, according to Andrea.

“If you asked me to summarize our mission: What we try to do is to offer consumers new alternatives on beauty, different perspectives to explore and express your identity,” he said.