Countess Muriel Brandolini d'Adda di Valmareno (née Phan van Thiet), known professionally as Muriel Brandolini, is a French-Vietnamese interior designer and decorator. In 2016 Brandolini was named one of the world's top 100 designers by '' Architectural Digest''.

Early life

Muriel Phan van Thiet was born in Montpellier, France and grew up in Saigon, Vietnam and in

Martinique Martinique ( , ; gcf, label=Martinican Creole, Matinik or ; Kalinago: or ) is an island and an overseas department/region and single territorial collectivity of France. An integral part of the French Republic, Martinique is located in ...

. Her father was a lawyer from Vietnam and her mother was a pianist of Venezuelan and French ancestry. She grew up speaking French as her primary language. Her father died when she was young, during the

Vietnamese War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

, which prompted the family to move to Martinique. When she was fifteen years old her mother sent her to Paris to study secretarial skills after she had dropped out of her private high school in Martinique.

Career

Brandolini came to New York City in 1979 and began working as a salesperson in Deschamps. She was discovered by Franca Sozzani who hired her as a fashion stylist for ''

Italian Vogue ''Vogue Italia'' is the Italian edition of ''Vogue'' magazine. Owned by Condé Nast International, it has been called the top fashion magazine in the world. It's been in publication since 1964. Name ''Vogue Italia'' was first published as ''No ...

'' before switching to design. Her work as a decorator and interior designer has been featured in ''

Harper’s Bazaar ''Harper's Bazaar'' is an American monthly women's fashion magazine. It was first published in New York City on November 2, 1867, as the weekly ''Harper's Bazar''. ''Harper's Bazaar'' is published by Hearst and considers itself to be the st ...

'', '' World of Interiors'', ''

Vogue Vogue may refer to: Business * ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine ** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Australia'', an Australian fashion magazine ** ''Vogue China'', ...

'', '' Architectural Digest'', '' Vanity Fair'', and ''

Elle Decor ''Elle'' (stylized ''ELLE'') is a worldwide women's magazine of French origin that offers a mix of fashion and beauty content, together with culture, society and lifestyle. The title means "she" or "her" in French. ''Elle'' is considered the wo ...

''. She is noted for her approach to vibrant colors within her work. She has been commissioned by celebrities, royalty and other public figures including

Matt Lauer Matthew Todd Lauer (; born December 30, 1957) is an American former television news personality, best known for his work with NBC News. After serving as a local news personality in New York City on WNBC, his first national exposure was as the ne ...

Pia Getty Pia Christina Miller Getty (born 1966) is a socialite and heiress. Early life She is the oldest daughter of Robert Warren Miller, an American-born British businessman, and wife María Clara "Chantal" Pesantes Becerra, an Ecuadorian, and sister of ...

Pavlos, Crown Prince of Greece Pavlos, Crown Prince of Greece ( el, Παύλος; born 20 May 1967) is the eldest son and second child of Constantine II, the last King of Greece from 1964 to 1973 and his wife, Anne-Marie of Denmark. He was heir apparent to the throne of G ...

and

Marie-Chantal, Crown Princess of Greece Marie-Chantal, Crown Princess of Greece, Princess of Denmark (born Marie-Chantal Claire Miller, 17 September 1968), is the wife of Pavlos, Crown Prince of Greece, son of Constantine II of Greece and Anne-Marie of Denmark. Marie-Chantal's hus ...

. She wrote a book on interior design titled ''The World of Muriel Brandolini'', which was published by Rizzoli in October 2011. In 2016 Brandolini was named one of the top 100 designers in the world by ''Architectural Digest''. Brandolini has a pop-up shop in

Southampton Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...

, which opened in the summer of 2015. She has collaborated with

Barney's Barneys New York Inc. is an American luxury brand founded in New York City in 1923. It has introduced major designers including Armani, Azzedine Alaïa, Comme des Garçons, Christian Louboutin, and Ermenegildo Zegna to the US market. Barneys Ne ...

on decor and home furnishing merchandise.

Personal life

Brandolini is married to Count Nuno Carlo Brandolini d'Adda di Valmareno, an Italian banker and the son of Count Brandolino Brandolini di Valmareno and Cristiana Agnelli. They have two children and live in Manhattan. Brandolini's retreat in

Hampton Bays, New York Hampton Bays is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in the Town of Southampton in Suffolk County, on Long Island, in New York. It is considered as part of the region of Long Island known as The Hamptons. The population was 13,603 at the ...

has been featured in '' Architectural Digest'' and the lifestyle blog ''Quintessence''. Her Paris apartment has been featured in ''Galerie Magazine''.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Brandolini, Muriel Living people Year of birth missing (living people) Muriel Italian countesses French interior designers French socialites French people of Venezuelan descent French people of Vietnamese descent Businesspeople from Montpellier People from Ho Chi Minh City Vietnamese designers