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
The New England School of Photography was a private for-profit arts school founded in 1968 and located in Boston, Massachusetts. After more than 50 years of operation, it permanently closed in March 2020. Alumni records have been transferred to th ...
, Hicks became an interior designer and a model for
Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren, ( ; ; born October 14, 1939) is an American fashion designer, philanthropist, and billionaire businessman, best known for the Ralph Lauren Corporation, a global multibillion-dollar enterprise. He has become well known for his co ...
, among others. She moved to the
Bahamas
The Bahamas (), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic. It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and is home to ...
in 1996, where she published books, promoted home and beauty products, and introduced a line of jewellery. She also started a local boutique shop called The Sugar Mill Trading Company. A daughter of
Lady Pamela Hicks
Lady Pamela Carmen Louise Hicks (''née'' Mountbatten; born 19 April 1929) is a British aristocrat and relative of the British royal family. She is the younger daughter of Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma (formerly Prince Loui ...
, she is a descendant of the
Mountbatten family
The Mountbatten family is a British dynasty that originated as an English branch of the German princely Battenberg family. The name was adopted on 14 July 1917, three days before the British royal family changed its name to “Windsor”, by ...
and a relative of the
British royal family.
Early life and education
Hicks was born in 1967
in London.
Hicks is the third child of
Lady Pamela Mountbatten and
David Nightingale Hicks
David Nightingale Hicks (25 March 1929 – 29 March 1998) was an English interior decorator and designer, noted for using bold colours, mixing antique and modern furnishings, and contemporary art for his famous clientele.
Early life and educati ...
. Her mother was a lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth II and her father was a famous interior designer.
She is the granddaughter of the
Earl
Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. The title originates in the Old English word ''eorl'', meaning "a man of noble birth or rank". The word is cognate with the Scandinavian form ''jarl'', and meant "chieftain", particular ...
and
Countess Mountbatten of Burma and the second cousin and goddaughter of
Charles III
Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person to ...
.
Hicks grew up in
Oxfordshire, England
Oxfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the north west of South East England. It is a mainly rural county, with its largest settlement being the city of Oxford. The county is a centre of research and development, primarily ...
.
She spent holidays at the family estate in
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
and at her father's self-designed and built
Bahamian-holiday home.
As a child, she was a
tomboy
A tomboy is a term for a girl or a young woman with masculine qualities. It can include wearing androgynous or unfeminine clothing and actively engage in physical sports or other activities and behaviors usually associated with boys or men. W ...
who kept her distance from royal affairs.
Hicks was exposed to design at an early age through her father and brother, who were both architects.
The 11-year-old Hicks was on holiday in
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
in 1979 when her grandfather was killed by a bomb planted on his boat.
In 1981, she served as
bridesmaid
Bridesmaids are members of the bride's party in a Western traditional wedding ceremony. A bridesmaid is typically a young woman and often a close friend or relative. She attends to the bride on the day of a wedding or marriage ceremony. Traditi ...
to
Lady Diana Spencer
Diana, Princess of Wales (born Diana Frances Spencer; 1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997) was a member of the British royal family. She was the first wife of King Charles III (then Prince of Wales) and mother of Princes William and Harry. Her ac ...
at
her wedding to
Prince Charles
Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person to ...
.
Hicks went to boarding school in Scotland at
Gordonstoun
Gordonstoun School is a co-educational independent school for boarding and day pupils in Moray, Scotland. It is named after the estate owned by Sir Robert Gordon in the 17th century; the school now uses this estate as its campus. It is located ...
, from which she was expelled for having boys in her room.
She then
backpacked across
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
.
Hicks moved to
Boston, Massachusetts at age 18 to study photography
at the
New England School of Photography
The New England School of Photography was a private for-profit arts school founded in 1968 and located in Boston, Massachusetts. After more than 50 years of operation, it permanently closed in March 2020. Alumni records have been transferred to th ...
,
where she graduated in 1990.
Career
After graduating college, Hicks' father introduced her to Emilio Pucci in
Florence, Italy
Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...
, where she modelled swimsuits.
Later, she modelled for
Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren, ( ; ; born October 14, 1939) is an American fashion designer, philanthropist, and billionaire businessman, best known for the Ralph Lauren Corporation, a global multibillion-dollar enterprise. He has become well known for his co ...
in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
,
Tod's
Tod's S.p.A., also known as Tod's Group, is an Italian company which produces luxury shoes and other leather goods. The company is majority controlled by the founding family Della Valle Family and is listed on the Italy's Milan Stock Exchange be ...
,
J.Crew
J.Crew Group, Inc., is an American multi-brand, multi-channel, specialty retailer. The company offers an assortment of women's, men's, and children's apparel and accessories, including swimwear, outerwear, lounge-wear, bags, sweaters, denim, dr ...
,
and others.
She lived in
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
for three years, before moving to
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
for three years.
Hicks moved to the Bahamas in 1996.
In the Bahamas, Hicks restored homes, invested and remodelled a hotel, and published several books on design and lifestyle.
Her first book called ''Island Life'' was a design book with photographs of Hibiscus Hill, a house she designed.
This was followed by a second book, ''Island Beauty'',
and a third book on photography and design, ''Island Style''.
Hicks also started a boutique shop in the Bahamas called the Sugar Mill Trading Company with business partner Linda Griffin.
The shop sells jewellery, clothes, household goods, and other items.
From 2005 to 2014, Hicks worked with
Crabtree & Evelyn
Crabtree & Evelyn is a current online-only and former brick-and-mortar retailer of body, fragrance and home care products. Beginning with one store in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1971, the brand grew to an international presence, with hundreds ...
as a spokeswoman and creative consultant for home and skincare products.
The company created the India Hicks Island Living and India Hicks Island Night lines of soaps, candles, and perfumes.
In 2008, Hicks co-hosted the second season of the Bravo interior design show
Top Design ''Top Design'' is an American reality television series. Interior designers competed to win cash and receive a spot in New York's Designer showcases.
The Top Design (season 1), first season premiered on January 31, 2007, following the season finale ...
in
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
.
She introduced her own line of jewellery in 2011.
Hicks also became a public commentator on events surrounding the royal family and the 2011
wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton
The wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton took place on Friday, 29 April 2011 at Westminster Abbey in London, England. The groom was second in the line of succession to the British throne. The couple had been in a relationship since ...
.
In 2015, Hicks created an e-commerce venture called India Hicks Inc. with partners Nicholas Keuper and HauteLook.
It sells jewellery, handbags, perfumes, beauty products, and other goods.
The business grew to more than $10 million in annual revenues.
Hicks also worked with the
Home Shopping Network
HSN, an initialism of its former name Home Shopping Network, is an American free-to-air television network owned by the Qurate Retail Group, which also owns catalog company Cornerstone Brands. Based in the Gateway area of St. Petersburg, Flor ...
on a line of bedding products called India Hicks Island Living.
Personal life
![India Hicks Global Empowerment Mission](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f0/India_Hicks_Global_Empowerment_Mission.jpg)
Hicks met her husband David Flint Wood as a child.
They re-connected as adults
during a holiday in the Bahamas.
She was pregnant with their first child four months after moving to the Bahamas in 1996.
They have five children, including a son she adopted from a local waitress who died of breast cancer:
* Felix Austin Flint Wood (23 May 1997)
* Amory John Flint Wood (25 June 1999)
* Conrad Lorenzo Flint Wood (25 April 2003)
* Domino Carmen Flint Wood (17 December 2007)
* Wesley Flint Wood (adopted)
In late 2020 she announced plans to marry Flint Wood.
She married Flint Wood on 10 September 2021 at St Bartholomew's parish church in
Brightwell Baldwin
Brightwell Baldwin is a village and civil parish in Oxfordshire, about northeast of Wallingford. It was historically in the Hundred of Ewelme and is now in the District of South Oxfordshire. The 2011 Census recorded the parish's population as ...
,
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the north west of South East England. It is a mainly rural county, with its largest settlement being the city of Oxford. The county is a centre of research and development, primarily ...
.
The couple have a house, "America Farm" in
Ewelme
Ewelme () is a village and civil parish in the Chiltern Hills in South Oxfordshire, north-east of the market town of Wallingford. The 2011 Census recorded the parish's population as 1,048. To the east of the village is Cow Common and to the ...
,
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the north west of South East England. It is a mainly rural county, with its largest settlement being the city of Oxford. The county is a centre of research and development, primarily ...
, built on land that Hicks had inherited and replacing two redundant farm workers' cottages.
Hicks' book about the project, ''India Hicks: The Story of Four Houses – A Slice of England'', was published by Rizzoli International Publications in 2018.
Hicks has competed in several marathons. She also rode a bike ride to raise money for cancer victims, in memory of her adopted son's biological mother.
She partners with a local food bank
and with the disaster relief agency Global Empowerment Mission where she is a part of their advisory board.
In 2020 Hicks pleaded guilty at
Uxbridge Magistrates' Court to
stealing
Theft is the act of taking another person's property or services without that person's permission or consent with the intent to deprive the rightful owner of it. The word ''theft'' is also used as a synonym or informal shorthand term for some ...
a coat and was ordered to pay costs and a victim surcharge.
Hicks accompanied her mother, Lady Pamela Hicks, at the
state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II
On 8 September 2022, at 15:10 BST, Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms, and the longest-reigning British monarch, died of old age at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, at the age of 96. The Queen's death wa ...
on 19 September, 2022.
Books
* 2004: ''Island Life: Inspirational Interiors''
* 2006: ''Island Beauty''
* 2015: ''India Hicks: Island Style''
* 2018: ''India Hicks: A Slice of England''
* 2020: ''An Entertaining Story''
References
External links
*
*
Theodora & Callum interview with India Hicks
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hicks, India
1967 births
Living people
English female models
English television personalities
British expatriates in the Bahamas
British people of German-Jewish descent
People from Harbour Island, Bahamas
Mountbatten family