India Mahdavi’s Sophie
Dont let the name confuse you, International designer India Mahdavi, is a mix between Persian and Egyptian / English parents. Named after the country she was conceived in, India, on her parents honeymoon trip. Her education began in architecture at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris, and was followed by a stint in New York, where she studied industrial design and graphic design at the School of Visual Arts. After that, the last stop was at Parsons studying furniture design. Based out of Paris, India has completed projects across the world. Her style is by turns playful, sexy and chic, and she’s not aftraid to let her femininity come through in her work. Ask her what she does for a living she says, “I say designer, architect, and art direction. But I wish I could just say “concepts” because thats what its all about.
The bistro Germain has India Mahdavi using Sophie, the yellow sculpture as the puppet master, controlling all the colors around. Sophie was a portrait done for a friend for an exhibition in 2006. Only 3 large statues were exhibited, occupying the entire gallery space. But by using the statue between levels, it gave a whole new dimension to the statue and the space. Using Sophie as tool to create an environment to the space. The furniture is a cocktail of bright colors. Lime green, orange and black against the grey & blue walls. The black & white cement tiles, reflect back in the black and white ceiling. The flooring changes shape with each section. We like the the Bishop stool, looks like a spool, being used in a lot of her projects. Also using it as part of the table. All part of her furniture line.
Climb to the upper level through bright blue walls. Where you meet the second half of Sophie. Two large circular mirrors are paced on either side. Creating a reflection of Sophie from different angles. Having a more casual feel, we see a bit of floral print creeping in with the upholstery. The beautiful purple felt pool table has been used instead of the usual green. What is different about the space India designs is that it doesn’t leave a signature look behind. She has a different take on each space.
Photos courtesy India Mahdavi.
Quotes via Textnow
