India Mahdavi

Architect, designer, and scenographer India Mahdavi was born in 1962 in Tehran, Iran. Raised by a Persian father and Egyptian-English mother, Mahdavi lived in Iran for the first year and a half of her life, then spent the rest of her childhood traveling with her parents, living in the U.S., Germany, and France. This culturally diverse lifestyle is reflected in her inspired, eclectic designs, which range from homes, hotels, and commercial spaces to airplane interiors and furniture.

Mahdavi studied architecture at the École des Beaux Arts in Paris between 1980 and 1986. She earned her Architect Diploma DPLG in 1987. In 1989, she spent a year in New York, studying graphic design at the School of Visual Arts, furniture design at Parsons, and industrial design at the Cooper Union. She then returned to Paris and joined Christian Liaigre's design studio as Art Director, where she remained for seven years. Mahdavi's company, imh interiors, was founded in 1999, with the designer subsequently opening her own showroom in Paris in 2003. The following year, Salon Maison & Objet elected her Designer of the Year.

Mahdavi’s work is minimal yet playful, and characterized by a combination of humor, elegance, and sensuality. Notable projects include the Hotel du Cloitre in Arles, Coburg Bar at London’s Connaught Hotel, Monte Carlo Beach in Monaco, Rivington Hotel in Manhattan, and Townhouse Hotel in Miami. She has collaborated with names like Ralph Pucci, Jonathan Morr, Ian Schrager, Givenchy, and Louis Vuitton.

Mahdavi lives and works in Paris.