Think of the spaces crafted by architect India Mahdavi and your mind illuminates with swathes of astonishing colour. Since the launch of her eponymous studio more than 20 years ago, the Tehran-born, Paris-based creative has established herself as a powerhouse in the world of design and architecture, leaning into a visual world that revolves around a certain joie de vivre. Her creative identity and artistic references are unconventional and multicultural, demonstrating how colours, materials and shapes can positively influence life’s experiences.
Now, India’s highly sought-after work is more accessible than ever before. Her studio has teamed up with the homewares arm of Swedish clothing behemoth H&M to release everyday objects for the home, taking the shape of eye-catching ceramics and textiles. Inspired by the fuzzy slick of colours that appears when you close your eyes in front of the sun, the collection is abuzz with vivid hues, blurry graphics and hypnotic gradients. “With this collection, H&M Home offered me the opportunity to spread a joyful palette of colours on an international scale”, India says of the collaboration, hitting shelves in Australia today.
Colour-drenched homewares by India Mahdavi just dropped at H&M
Not for the faint-hearted, key pieces in the colour-drenched collection include a variety of functional ceramics, such as plates, serving bowls, jugs and vases, as well as exquisite cushions, a blanket and a large rug – each stitched up in natural materials. The designer says craftmanship was placed front and centre of the new range, pulling a sense of “artisanal know-how” into focus. “I designed this collection by first identifying European manufacturers among the H&M Home suppliers and with whom there was an understanding of common values,” India explains.
Poeticising the collection by suggesting it was “conceived like a wind of optimism in a world of uncertainty,” the H&M team insists India was the perfect partner for the collaboration. “India Mahdavi is the well-thought-of designer in bringing joy, optimism and colour to the world of interiors,” comments Evelina Kravaev-Söderberg, head of design and creative at H&M Home. “We wanted to create a poetic and contemplative collection, focusing on crafted quality and joyful colours, and we can’t wait to introduce our customers to India’s impeccable sense of colour and design aesthetics.”
With this collection, H&M Home has offered me the opportunity to spread a joyful palette of colours on an international scale.
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