Hidden Trails — Designer India Mahdavi's Insider Guide to Exploring Paris

With Paris in the spotlight as the host of this year's Olympic games, people planning on visiting this summer know that the city is likely to be at its most crowded. But what tucked-away gems are there to discover outside of the busy rooms of the Louvre and the poetic, yet overly-traveled cobblestone alleys of Montmartre? For Hidden Trails, we asked our favorite Paris-based designers to take us on a tour across the city to the places that feel most like home to them.

There is a sense of wonder and an unspoiled curiousness to the fantastical spaces Iranian-French architect and designer India Mahdavi is known for. Born in Tehran in 1962, the vivid iconography of Persia's centuries-spanning artistic heritage is impressed on her DNA. From a young age, color became the filter through which Mahdavi deciphered the world around her — be it the reality of her early Massachusetts upbringing (populated by the adventures of her favorite cartoon characters), her German and French Riviera years, or her experience of Paris as an architecture student at École des Beaux Arts in the 1980s.

Having later returned to the US to study furniture design at New York City's Parsons and graphic design at the School of Visual Arts, Mahdavi found her way back to France to serve as the artistic director of minimalist design and architect Christian Liaigre's namesake brand, where she remained until 1997. It was there, and more precisely, in Paris, that she founded her own studio two years later, heralding the start of a more intimate relationship to the city and Parisian design, which lasts to this day.

Inspired by her passion for filmmaking, the vibrancy of Iran, and her itinerant youth, Mahdavi's signature style leverages the power of light, unusually paired colors, and overlooked materials to tell stories, unleashing the hidden identity of a space. Parisian projects of hers include the whimsically chic brasseries Le Germain and I Love Paris by Guy Martin Roissy, as well as the leather-sculpted, imaginative cinema Le Germain Paradisio: symbols of a new, elevated art de vivre.

Since the 1990s, Mahdavi has lent her uplifting aesthetic to some of the world's most marvelous residences, rekindling their legacy through daring colors, textures, and forms. From Milan to Mexico City, all it takes is to step into the hotels, restaurants, shops, and showrooms she has designed — think of the instantly iconic interiors of London eatery sketch, or about the velvety ambiance of Geneva's Ladurée quai des Bergues bakery — to feel the scope of her vision. If Mahdavi's architectural creations absorb us in the radiance core to her work, her Petit Objets and furniture make that very joy collectible. Below, Mahdavi guides us along her places of affection for an unconventional exploration of Paris.

1. Discover new and established artists at Ketabi Bourdet

22 Pass. Dauphine, 75006

Conveniently located within walking distance from other cultural hotspots including contemporary art gallery Amélie Maison d'art and the Eugène Delacroix Museum in the 6th arrondissement: 'Ketabi Bourdet is a young, dynamic gallery presenting work from emerging artists like Inès Longevial and Audrey Guttman, as well as 1980s' design pieces courtesy of pioneering names such as Philippe Starck, Garouste & Bonetti, and Paolo Pallucco,' Mahdavi tells me.

With a diverse programming combining painting, sculpture, printed art with glass, ceramics, and furniture pieces, Ketabi Bourdet embraces creativity in all of its possible definitions, platforming the collision of mediums that characterizes the contemporary arts scene. Both physical gallery and online boutique, its collection also houses creations by a number of disruptors including late Italian designer Gaetano Pesce, British-Israeli architect Ron Arad, and Parisian designer Martin Szekely.

2. Fill up on design inspiration at Galerie kreo

31 rue Dauphine, 75006

One of the most affluent districts in Paris, the 6th arrondissement is home to a plethora of both iconic and lesser-known museums and art spaces, including the historical Musée National du Moyen-Âge – Thermes de Cluny, where you'll find the world's finest collection of medieval arts and crafts. The second pick from the Iranian-French designer's itinerary falls only steps away from her previous one — located on the buzzy rue Dauphine, 'Galerie kreo represents designers such as Ronan Bouroullec, Konstantin Grcic, Jasper Morrison, and many more,' Mahdavi explains.

What began as an agency focused around industrial projects developed in collaboration with leading personalities of the likes of François Bauchet, Marc Newson, and Pierre Charpin evolved into gallery space when co-founders Clémence and Didier Krzentowski inaugurated Furniture & Objects (1960-2000) — their first group show — in the spring of 1999. Since then, 'Clemence and Didier have gone on to reshape the contemporary design landscape', adds Mahdavi, who deems their platform one of the most influential design galleries on the international scene.

3. Immerse yourself in Mahdavi's creative universe on rue Las Cases

Various locations, 75007

When I ask Mahdavi to share her favorite design destination in Paris, she doesn't think about it twice. 'My rue Las Cases in the 7th arrondissement,' she exclaims. The architect and designer has gradually taken over this Parisian road across five different locations, distilling her creative universe into one place.

'Les Petits Objets at 19 rue Las Cases and the showroom at 3 rue Las Cases are part of my ecosystem alongside the Project Room, the Tiny Room, and the Studio,' she says. 'These spaces are dedicated to showcasing my collection of furniture, iconic objects, and unique pieces from collaborations with anyone from historical houses of craftsmanship to cutting-edge, young designers from all over the world.'

4. Get curious at La Maison Deyrolle

46 rue du Bac, 75007

Possibly my favorite location on Mahdavi's list, La Maison Deyrolle shifts away from the elevated chicness of Paris' 7th arrondissement to the city's infamously darker underbelly. Between the Musée d'Orsay and the Musée Maillol, La Maison Deyrolle is like a taxidermy museum, if not for the fact that visitors can actually purchase the items displayed in it.

A natural history-lovers' mecca, 'La Maison Deyrolle holds a unique charm and historical significance since its establishment in 1831,' Mahdavi says. 'Visiting it', continues the designer, 'is like time traveling and stepping into a cabinet of curiosities, with a collection of taxidermy ranging from majestic mammals to butterflies'.

Holding a mirror up to the diversity and richness of species that the planet offers, La Maison Deyrolle makes a truly unexpected and exceptional stop on the city guide of the most curious ones. Also selling nature-themed artworks, books, prints, and a wide range of lifestyle items — from bedding to games and perfumes — it is one of the designer's aces in the hole: 'this is where I buy the butterfly boxes used to display the samples of each ones of my projects,' Madhavi explains.

5. Taste Paris at Chez Georges

1 rue Du Mail, 75002

Next stop on Madhavi's tour is Chez Georges, a brasserie marrying the stuck-in-time charm of classic Parisian decor with show-stopping cooking. Writing about the restaurant in 2013, Guardian food critic Jay Rayner said that, while years pass outside of it, 'inside it is always 1946'.

The designer seems to agree on this 2nd arrondissement eatery: 'Chez Georges is an institution that I appreciate as much for its classic French bistro decor as for its traditional cuisine,' explains Mahdavi. 'It's delicious and generous like home-cooked meals,' she adds. 'And we are wonderfully welcomed by Jean-Gabriel, its owner.'

6. Shop wonders at Les Puces de Paris Saint-Ouen

110 rue des Rosiers, 93400

Is a city really a city without a good flea market? According to Mahdavi, Paris is no exception. Not only is Les Puces de Paris Saint-Ouen a must-see for antiques and rarities aficionados, but it is also the largest vintage and second-hand market in the world, amassing over 5 million visitors every year. Located just outside of the city in the northern, suburban commune of Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine, Les Puces — as it is known to locals — has been in the area since the Middle Ages. Expanding over 7 hectares for a total of 12 covered markets, five shopping streets, and countless sellers showcasing their stock directly on sidewalks, it is a town in itself, and a very fascinating one too.

For Mahdavi, 'it is a place where I find inspiration, offering a wide range of vintage clothing, furniture, art, and collectibles,' she says. 'There is something for everyone, from high-end antiques to little souvenirs. It's a fantastic escape, very nice to enjoy lunch on a Sunday.'

Paris can be a highly divisive place, even more so for those who like to travel the less-trodden path. Whether you are a fan or a critic, this series of travel guides — brought to you by some of the most inspiring names in the design world — will challenge you to take a fresh look at what's around, igniting you with the same love, connection, and curiosity they feel for the city.