a date with miss chocette
meet madeleine carroll
the chocolate box couturier behind Miss chocette and our exclusive miss loveduck.
How did you create Miss Loveduck and why??
MC: Miss Loveduck is my thanks and tribute to the wonder that is Ainslie. Ainslie has been such an unbelievable support of my little business, Miss Chocette, selling my chocolate box characters at Easter and Christmas for the last couple of years. I wanted to create her very own Loveduck one that she could treat her loyal customers with and further the Loveduck experience.
I loved the process of hand drawing her. Her dress was inspired by the best-selling (and Ainslie fave) Matta Yamini Booj dress. I got completely engrossed in the pattern - finding little details in each flower and motif. I wanted her personality to feel warm and welcoming like Ainslie herself, giving her a headdress of peonies (Ainslie’s favourite flower), a Sara Lashay duck pendant and Fragonard candle. Her earrings are based on G.A.S bijoux ones and her necklace is the famous Goia from Sara too. I gave her a Guanabana bag, complete with treasure map for finding rare brands and pieces. special moments and help them express their unique style keeps me motivated to bring beautiful, meaningful pieces to life year after year.
Do you really hand draw every single detail? And how many hours would this beautiful work take you???
MC: Yes I really do hand draw every detail! I get quite obsessed, the time just seems to fly. I start in pencil first to establish the character, then I redraw the whole design again in pen. I then colour it in on the computer because it is printed onto special paper, so the colour consistency needs to be right. It’s not so much ‘hours’ as it is ‘days’ sometimes ‘weeks’ to achieve the final outcome.
What do you personally love about Miss Loveduck?
MC: Her face. To me she has a warm, friendly demeanour, which reminds me of the atmosphere of being at Loveduck and Ainslie of course! I also love the little duck in her headdress - and the treasure map!
What is your true passion around these divine characters you create?
MC: In all honesty it is quite simply to bring joy and sense of surprise and wonder to both the giver and receiver. They are my own invention, so you wont see them anywhere else. They allow me to tell stories through my drawing. Each one in imbibed with symbolism.
Without over sharing too much, they have also offered me a world of escape from my own reality, which isn’t always the easiest.
