Mandana Bolourchi is a fashion and beauty entrepreneur, influencer, philanthropist, and interior Designer, who was born in Iran and raised in Tehran, Dubai, and Los Angeles. She got her art inspirations from being immersed in various cultures and traveling at a young age. She is featured in various fashion outlets such as The New York Guardian and Harper’s Bazaar, and she has a sizable social media following.

Bodysuit by SAMI MIRÓ
Blazer by Vintage via Pollux Archive

How has your childhood shaped who you are today?
My parents played a huge part in who I am today. I am grateful for all the experiences and learning opportunities to which they exposed me early on. I grew up in a house with a huge library, and because my parents encouraged us to read so much, it began to help shape me and allow me to find things that I was interested in. Reading a lot in my youth allowed me to seek interests as an adult and work harder to reach those goals. I was fortunate to travel a lot as a kid with my family and because of that I got to see many of the things I had read about in books right in front of me, whether it be architectural buildings, paintings, sculpture, or places. It was so inspiring getting to see so many different types of art in my childhood, and I realized how much I liked creative work. Another aspect of my life that helped shape a big part of who I am today was watching my dad help people. With him becoming a philanthropist gave me the biggest motivation to become one as well, especially being born as a woman in a Middle Eastern country, I became really passionate about specifically helping women.

When did you first become interested in interior design?
My family and I would go to many museums and monuments, and when I became old enough to drive, I would go on drives just to see the architecture around me. I would even drive around construction sites to see what was being built. When I was younger, I would always move things around the house and decorate the coffee tables at all of my relatives' homes we would visit. I think I was obsessed with the coffee table books and the interest grew from there. Growing up between Iran, Dubai, and Europe, I got to see so much amazing art and architecture. I think I had an eye for design, so it was something that came naturally but also something I very much enjoyed.

**Left:**
Dress by AREA
Rings by Stylist’s Own
**Right:**
Dress by David Koma

Did you always know you wanted to pursue a career in art and fashion? What made you certain that this was what you wanted to pursue?
I always knew since I had a distinguished and particular sense of fashion and design. As a little girl, I would even ask the staff to wear different color themes to go along with seasonal changes. I was probably too young to understand that it was design I was thinking of by moving and changing things to fit a way that looked good. I would even bring my own picture frames wherever I would go to make it look better. Even now as an adult I go to hotels, and they put picture frames up in my room for me. I think I was so certain that I was passionate about my interests in design, art, and fashion that it became routine for me to do these things without it feeling like it was a career with duty or an obligation. I enjoy these things so much that it is fun for me, and work should be fun when you love what you are doing.

What inspires you, in both your work and personal life?
I’m lucky to be surrounded by strong and independent women. It always inspired me how independent my grandmother was at the time for a woman in the Middle East. It was rare to have the drive to better her life and her kids’ lives because of the circumstances of where she was from. She moved to the U.S. to give everyone in her family the opportunity to follow their dreams in a place where freedom isn’t only for men. It inspired me never to accept any limits, to never limit dreams because of where I was born or my gender. She gave me the motivation to work towards something meaningful and to help other women like us. I always looked up to women who shattered the glass ceiling and hoped to try to inspire others never to accept limitations because of the circumstances they were born into. I was inspired daily by my father’s passion for helping others and that is something that I carry with me no matter how busy life gets, or if I go into different career paths. It is always engrained in me to continue to try to help others. More personally, I get inspired by my boyfriend, Patrick, because of his persistence and drive. He always reminds me never to give up on what I want, and to have a mindset that allows you to reach your goals and to know no limits.

**Left:**
Dress by AREA
Rings by Stylist’s Own
**Right:**
Suit by Vintage Gianfranco Ferre
Top by Miu Miu

Have there been any moments or milestones so far in your career that have felt particularly meaningful to you?
Ever since I was younger, I was a huge fan of Dolce & Gabbana. It was always one of the brands that made me feel sexy and like a badass at the same time. In December of 2021, I was able to host the Christmas Party celebrating the release of their Christmas collection. It was such a special moment for me because we got to collaborate with Harper’s Bazaar for the party, which has been one of my favorite fashion magazines for so long. It felt like a dream come true! This collaboration was especially meaningful to me because of the location too—being able to shut down the Dolce & Gabbana storefront on Rodeo Drive for a night—since it has always been so iconic and one of my most beloved fashion spots. The whole thing felt so full circle for me in that moment, shopping here as a teen and young adult into adulthood, and now hosting a collection release in my very own city.

Is there anyone in the industry with whom you would love to collaborate?
There have been a few conversations with Versace, which is one of my dream collaborations, I value working with brands that I feel connected to not only on a materialistic level but as a whole. I have always been a fan of Donatella Versace and her work and strides to keep her family's legacy alive. When I was 19 and bought my very first house, the first thing I had in there was a Versace Medusa plate set and that’s just a little memory that I hold that reminds me of how I started with the brand. Hopefully one day something could happen with Versace and that would be another dream come true.

What are some of your biggest obstacles that you have overcome in your career ? Do you have any other projects coming up or in the works?
The biggest obstacle I ever had to face in my career, or actually before my career, was all of the criticism I would get as a Persian, free woman, and pursuing my dreams while still being a good mom. I went public on Instagram and quickly gained a lot of followers with a lot of people enjoying what I was sharing, but at the same time a lot of people had such nasty things to say. I decided I wanted to change the definition of what a woman should or shouldn’t do and change the perspective or narrative of a mom in my culture. To me we are as limitless as men, but sometimes it’s not easy for people to understand that you can follow your dreams, be public about your life, and at the same time still be a good mom.

I am so excited to announce I have been working with one of my great friends for almost two years now to start a women-owned company called Ma Hair Co, which is a line of hair products from brushes to perfumes. We are so eager for the release; we have been working on every, tiny detail of the products. It is essentially the items we felt were missing when we needed them, things not in the market or readily available, so we worked hard to make them so that women with every hair type have what they need.

Social Media.
Instagram: @the.mandana
Tik Tok : @the.mandana
YouTube: Mandana Bolourchi https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf6dgZAKDKu7ZM1dPqhVJhQ

CREW CREDITS:
PhotoBook Editor-In-Chief: Alison Hernon
PhotoBook Creative Director + Photographer + Producer: Mike Ruiz + @mikeruiz.one
Talent: Mandana Bolourchi
Fashion Stylist: Tabitha Sanchez at The Only Agency
Hair: Ana Estela
Makeup: Raquel Moreno
Photographer’s Assistant: Ozzie Gutierrez
Tearsheets by Daniel López, Associate Art Director, PhotoBook Magazine
Interview by Chloe Liu, Contributor, PhotoBook Magazine
Location: FD Studios