India Amanda Caroline Hicks (born 5 September 1967) is a British designer, writer, businesswoman and former fashion model. After graduating from the New England School of Photography, Hicks became an interior designer and a model for Ralph Lauren, among others. She moved to the Bahamas in 1996, where she published books, promoted home and beauty products, and introduced a line of jewellery. Hicks travels frequently to disaster sites in her role with the non-profit organisation Global Empowerment Mission. A daughter of Lady Pamela Hicks, she is a maternal descendant of the House of Mountbatten and a relative of the British royal family.
Hicks grew up in Oxfordshire, England.[7] She spent holidays at the family estate in Ireland and at her father's self-designed and built Bahamian-holiday home.[6] As a child, she was a tomboy who kept her distance from royal affairs.[8] Hicks was exposed to design at an early age through her father and brother, who were both architects.[5] The 11-year-old Hicks was on holiday in Ireland in 1979 when her grandfather was killed by a bomb planted on his boat.[9][10] In 1981, she served as bridesmaid to Lady Diana Spencer at her wedding to Prince Charles.[8]
After graduating college, Hicks' father introduced her to Emilio Pucci in Florence, Italy, where she modelled swimsuits.[15] Later, she modelled for Ralph Lauren in New York City,[15]Tod's,[16]J.Crew,[17] and others.[18] She lived in Paris for three years, before moving to New York City for three years.[11] Hicks moved to the Bahamas in 1996.[18]
In the Bahamas, Hicks restored homes, invested and remodelled a hotel, and published several books on design and lifestyle.[8] Her first book called Island Life was a design book with photographs of Hibiscus Hill, a house she designed.[11][17] This was followed by a second book, Island Beauty,[5] and a third book on photography and design, Island Style.[19] Hicks also started a boutique shop in the Bahamas called the Sugar Mill Trading Company with business partner Linda Griffin.[5] The shop sells jewellery, clothes, household goods, and other items.[12]
From 2005 to 2014, Hicks worked with Crabtree & Evelyn as a spokeswoman and creative consultant for home and skincare products.[12][13] The company created the India Hicks Island Living and India Hicks Island Night lines of soaps, candles, and perfumes.[8][12][17]
In 2008, Hicks co-hosted the second season of the Bravo interior design show Top Design in Los Angeles, California.[6][12][17] She introduced her own line of jewellery in 2011.[12] Hicks also became a public commentator on events surrounding the royal family and the 2011 wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton.[17][20] In 2015, Hicks created an e-commerce venture called India Hicks Inc. with partners Nicholas Keuper and HauteLook.[13][14] It sells jewellery, handbags, perfumes, beauty products, and other goods.[13][14] The business grew to more than $10 million in annual revenues.[13]
Hicks also worked with the Home Shopping Network on a line of bedding products called India Hicks Island Living.[18]
Personal life
Hicks visiting the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian, as part of the Global Empowerment Mission, 2019
The couple have a house, "America Farm" in Ewelme, Oxfordshire, built on land that Hicks had inherited and replacing two redundant farm workers' cottages.[24][25][15][26] Hicks' book about the project, India Hicks: The Story of Four Houses – A Slice of England, was published by Rizzoli International Publications in 2018.[27][28]
Hicks has competed in several marathons. She also rode a 100-mile (160km) bike ride to raise money for cancer victims, in memory of her adopted son's biological mother.[2] She partners with a local food bank[29] and with the disaster relief agency Global Empowerment Mission (GEM).[30] She joined the Global Empowerment Mission's board in 2019.[31] On behalf of GEM, she visited the Abaco Islands after Hurricane Dorian, Alabama after it experienced a tornado, Florida after the surfside condominium collapse, and Poland during Russia's invasion of Ukraine.[31] She is also an ambassador for The Prince's Trust, a charity that helps young people find training, and work opportunities.[32]
In 2020 Hicks pleaded guilty at Uxbridge Magistrates' Court to shoplifting a coat and was ordered to pay costs and a victim surcharge. Her spokesperson stated "The court accepted that at the time of taking the coat, India had simply been absent-minded and hadn't intended to leave without paying for it".[33]
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