Architect and designer, India Mahdavi is based in Paris. Born to Anglo-Persian parents, India Mahdavi spent her childhood between Massachussetts, New York City, Heidelberg, the South of France and Paris. Her style suits her character: polyglot and polychrome. She graduated in architecture (DPLG - Paris), industrial design (Copper Union, NYC), graphic design (School of Visual Arts, NYC) and furniture design (Parson’s NYC), before becoming Christian Liaigre’s artistic director for 7 years. Her studio, created in 1999, is known for the diversity of its international projects which explore the fields of architecture and scenography, interior, furniture and object design.
Her signature has become a reference for renowned hotels and restaurants such as Condesa DF in Mexico, on Rivington in New York, Monte Carlo Beach in Monaco, the Coburg bar and Hélène Darroze’s restaurant at the Connaught in London, suites at the Claridge’s in London, Hôtel Thoumieux in Paris, Hôtel du Cloître in Arles, Café Français in Paris (Place de la Bastille) in collaboration with M/M (Paris), L’Apogée Courchevel co-signed with Joseph Dirand and restaurant The Gallery at sketch in London.
The interiors she conceives are elegant, fluid, and in relation to the essence of their location. She says, ‘The location and space are the starting point of all of my projects and each project is like an open question, for which there is a unique answer. Each project tells that inner story.’ Her first showroom at 3 rue Las Cases which opened in 2003, focuses on a high end collection of furniture, produced exclusively in France. Designed for her interior design projects, these pieces now constitute a unique body of work which share the same DNA: a sophisticated balance between strong graphics and a glamorous signature.
19 rue Las Cases, India Mahdavi’s second showroom, opened in December 2011, focuses on small objects, a radical change of scale. These new pieces, which India also designs and uses for her interior design projects, are now displayed in this resh and creative hide-away. The ‘petits objets’ boutique is a free spirited and lighthearted playground that echoes and complements the furniture showroom.
India Mahdavi has become an exclusive brand, offering a complete philosophy, based on a special vocabulary: high end, joyful, nomadic, chic, elegant, ‘art de vivre’, a certain way of life. India Mahdavi is the author of «Home Chic», a guidebook to interior style co-written with journalist Soline Delos and published by Flammarion in 2012.
India Mahdavi was rewarded Designer of the Year by famous fair «Scènes d’intérieur / Maison et Objets» in 2004. Named to Architectural Digest’s 2014 AD100 list, which honors the world’s top talents in architecture and design, and granted a special award for international creators by AD Spain’s AD Award 2014, India Mahdavi received four awards in 2015 for The Gallery at sketch:
- Restaurant & Bar Design Awards: Best London Restaurant and Best UK Restaurant
- Great Indoors Awards: best restaurant in the Relax & Consume category
- Time Out Love London Awards: best restaurant in Mayfair
Her collection of contemporary Cementiles for Bisazza won the EDIDA2016 award in the floor covering category. I Love Paris by Guy Martin was awarded world’s best chef-led / fine dining restaurant in an airport (FAB awards 2016). As of February 17th, 2015 and for a period of three years, India Mahdavi has been appointed a member of the «Conseil artistique, scientifique et culturel de la Cité de la céramique (Sèvres et Limoges)». This council will assist the institution in its strategy of development, its artistic direction, its production choices, its cultural and research programming or its orientation in training and eductation.
India Mahdavi has been appointed Officier des Arts et des Lettres and was decorated by Fleur Pellerin, Ministre de la Culture et de la Communication on November 26th, 2015. India Mahdavi was President of the Jury for Design Parade Toulon 2016, the first international festival of interior design. She is currently working on residential and public projects throughout the world.
