India Mahdavi / Architect and designer
Published on 6 May 2020
The pandemic put an abrupt stop to India Mahdavi’s world travels. She’s currently working from her base in Paris’s 7th arrondissement.
Splitting her time between her central Paris apartment and her architecture and design studio just a stone’s throw away on rue Las Cases, India Mahdavi remains focused on her projects, teleworking with her team. As creativity continues to punctuate her daily routine, she chats about the objects that surround her.
Self Portrait. We invite professionals from the lifestyle, culture and communications world to snap six shots that sum up their story. Smartphone in hand, they have fun revealing all the little nothings around which their world revolves. It’s time to take a peek behind closed doors.
Current crush
“My ‘Bishop’ chessboard, which is one of just two that were produced for the ‘My name is Bishop’ exhibition at the Pierre Bergé Gallery in Brussels in 2009 — an exhibition that showcased every imaginable version of my ‘Bishop’ stool. It serves as an example for the post-Coronavirus period — a one-of-a-kind piece manufactured in France, by artisans, combining 2 types of expertise: cabinet making and ceramics.”
Futile object
“Flowers, which were a gift on my birthday. They may be futile yet they’re so important during the lockdown period. They were the best possible gift I could have been given.”
Useful object
“My ‘Gold’ shopping trolley, designed for my first-ever collaboration with French supermarket chain Monoprix in 2017. It’s really come into its own since we went into lockdown. I use it almost every day, and I can’t wait for my second collaboration to hit the shelves on 12th June this year, featuring another surprising take on the shopping trolley.”
Good luck charm
“This brass question mark that I got from an antique dealer in Los Angeles. It serves as a constant reminder that asking questions sparks thought. What will I want to keep on doing once the lockdown is over? What activities will I want to discontinue?”
A souvenir
“My old friend Bugs, my childhood hero, who I got from the Serpette flea market one rainy Sunday. He’s had pride of place in my bedroom ever since, and his little face always makes my heart melt.”
