Ashley Hicks
Encyclopedia
Ashley Louis David Hicks (born 18 July 1963) is a British
author, architect, and interior and furniture designer. He is the only son of Lady Pamela Hicks
(née Mountbatten) and David Nightingale Hicks
. Hicks designs architecture and interiors in Europe, the United States, and the United Kingdom. He divides his time between designing private residential interiors and occasional commercial work.
Hicks is the grandson of Edwina Mountbatten, Countess Mountbatten of Burma
and her husband Louis
. Through Countess Mountbatten's paternal ancestral line, Hicks is the third great grandson of Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 7th Earl of Shaftesbury
. Through his maternal grandfather
, Hicks is the second cousin of Charles, Prince of Wales
. He is also the godson of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
.
in Denmark Hill
, London. He is the son and second child of David and Lady Pamela Hicks. He is the younger brother of Edwina Brudenell
. He is the older brother of India Hicks
, author, television host, fashion model, and fragrance designer.
Hicks was raised at Britwell House, an 18th-century house in Britwell Salome
, that served as the family's home, as well as his father's showplace. It was there that his father designed elaborate landscapes that were "virtual outdoor rooms with carefully framed vistas". During the school year, Hicks boarded at the private, Stowe School
.
In 1978, the success of his father's business waned, forcing them to sell Britwell, their stately country house in Oxfordshire. Hicks attended the three-day Sotheby's house sale, 20–22 March 1979, with a friend from school who bid for a David Hicks table. After the auction, the Hicks family moved to the Grove, a smaller house on the estate, as well as a set of rooms at the Albany, the legendary early-19th-century London apartment building in Piccadilly.
, born Edwina Ashley, who was one of Britain's richest women when she inherited most of the £7.5 million fortune of her grandfather, Sir Ernest Cassel
. Through Countess Mountbatten's paternal ancestral line, Hicks is the third great grandson of the 7th Earl of Shaftesbury
. Through his maternal grandfather, the 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma
, Hicks is the second cousin of Charles, Prince of Wales
. He is also the godson of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
.
in Hampshire
, where the royal family
were frequent guests. When Hicks was 16 years old, his grandfather and his cousin Nicholas Knatchbull
were killed, when his grandfather's fishing boat, the Shadow V, was blown up by a Provisional Irish Republican Army
(IRA) bomb on Donegal Bay
. "I didn't go on the boat because I went to buy some cigarettes. It was a beautiful summer's day and I was with India, watching television. We had the windows open and then we heard this big bang."
. They met in 1988, at the Café de Paris
in London, when he was a student at the Architectural Association and she was studying the history of art at Sotheby's
. He proposed to her over "Twiglets
and apple juice at the Groucho Club
" in Soho
, London. Born on 20 May 1960, in Turin, Italy
, Allegra is the daughter of Carlo Tondato and Rosy Maza. Two daughters were born from this marriage. Prince Charles is the godfather of their daughter, Angelica.
After their wedding, Hicks and his wife lived in a renovated building in New York City that belonged to the artist Marc Chagall
's grandson. It was near Fifth Avenue, surrounded by the lofts and studios of local artists. While the building was renovated, the interior of their home was rather low scale, lacking air conditioning. Allegra said of their home, "Although it was a glamorous address it was, for us, more about the people who lived there." They lived in New York from 1991–92. In May 2009, the couple announced the end of their marriage. Today, Hicks divides his time between London and his family's old converted carriage house in Oxfordshire.
Influenced by his father, Hicks studied painting and fine art, graduating from the Bath School of Art and Design
and trained with the Architectural Association School of Architecture
, in London. He then worked briefly for his father's interior design house, before establishing his own architectural firm, designing interiors and furniture.
In 1997, Hicks began designing furniture at the Gem Palace in Jaipur, India
. His first piece was his interpretation of a Greek Klismos chair
, based on a 1920s drawing by an architect. The chair is rendered in Burmese teak, with a seat made of interwoven straps of saddle leather. He describes the chair as "far more like the ancient Greek ones in its construction, than the Neoclassical
revivals". When Hicks initially designed in India, he designed under the moniker of "Jantar Mantar". Hicks explains, "It means abracadabra, also hocus pocus, and is local slang for the Jaipur Observatory
."
In addition to interior and furniture design, Hicks produces a line of fabric, wallpaper, and carpeting entitled "David Hicks by Ashley Hicks". In 2002, along with his wife, he wrote Design Alchemy, which provided an overview of the interiors and products they designed. Hicks produced a series of Allegra Hicks shops, which offer a wide collection of home accessories.
In addition to his design catalogues and books, Hicks wrote and illustrated a children's book written for his daughters and friends. The book, Bebe Blue and the Evil Gangsta Rappers, was published by Smartleby Books in 2006.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
author, architect, and interior and furniture designer. He is the only son of Lady Pamela Hicks
Lady Pamela Hicks
Lady Pamela Carmen Louise Hicks, née Mountbatten is a British aristocrat. She is the younger daughter of the 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma by his wife, the former Edwina Ashley. Through her father, Lady Hicks is a first cousin of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.- Family background :Hicks was...
(née Mountbatten) and David Nightingale Hicks
David Nightingale Hicks
David Nightingale Hicks was a British interior decorator and designer, famous for his employment of bold, shockingly vibrant colours, for mixing antique and modern furnishings and contemporary art for his famous clientele....
. Hicks designs architecture and interiors in Europe, the United States, and the United Kingdom. He divides his time between designing private residential interiors and occasional commercial work.
Hicks is the grandson of Edwina Mountbatten, Countess Mountbatten of Burma
Edwina Mountbatten, Countess Mountbatten of Burma
Edwina Cynthia Annette Mountbatten, Countess Mountbatten of Burma,, GBE, DCVO, CI, DStJ was an English heiress, socialite, relief-worker, wife of Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, and last Vicereine of India.- Lineage and wealth :Edwina Mountbatten, Countess Mountbatten of Burma...
and her husband Louis
Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma
Admiral of the Fleet Louis Francis Albert Victor Nicholas George Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, KG, GCB, OM, GCSI, GCIE, GCVO, DSO, PC, FRS , was a British statesman and naval officer, and an uncle of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
. Through Countess Mountbatten's paternal ancestral line, Hicks is the third great grandson of Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 7th Earl of Shaftesbury
Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 7th Earl of Shaftesbury
Anthony Ashley Cooper, 7th Earl of Shaftesbury KG , styled Lord Ashley from 1811 to 1851, was an English politician and philanthropist, one of the best-known of the Victorian era and one of the main proponents of Christian Zionism.-Youth:He was born in London and known informally as Lord Ashley...
. Through his maternal grandfather
Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma
Admiral of the Fleet Louis Francis Albert Victor Nicholas George Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, KG, GCB, OM, GCSI, GCIE, GCVO, DSO, PC, FRS , was a British statesman and naval officer, and an uncle of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
, Hicks is the second cousin of Charles, Prince of Wales
Charles, Prince of Wales
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...
. He is also the godson of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is the husband of Elizabeth II. He is the United Kingdom's longest-serving consort and the oldest serving spouse of a reigning British monarch....
.
Personal background
Hicks was born on 18 July 1963, in King's College HospitalKing's College Hospital
King's College Hospital is an acute care facility in the London Borough of Lambeth, referred to locally and by staff simply as "King's" or abbreviated internally to "KCH"...
in Denmark Hill
Denmark Hill
Denmark Hill is an area and road in the London Borough of Southwark. The road forms part of the A215; north of Camberwell Green it becomes Camberwell Road; south of Red Post Hill it becomes Herne Hill. Its postcode is SE5. Nearby streets whose names refer to different aspects of the same...
, London. He is the son and second child of David and Lady Pamela Hicks. He is the younger brother of Edwina Brudenell
Edwina Brudenell
Edwina Victoria Louise Brudenell, née Hicks is the elder daughter of Lady Pamela Hicks and David Nightingale Hicks....
. He is the older brother of India Hicks
India Hicks
India Amanda Caroline Hicks is a former fashion model, 521st inline to the line of succession to the British Throne.-Early life:...
, author, television host, fashion model, and fragrance designer.
Hicks was raised at Britwell House, an 18th-century house in Britwell Salome
Britwell Salome
Britwell Salome is a village and civil parish in South Oxfordshire, England, about northeast of Wallingford.-History:"Salome" is derived from the surname Sulham. There is a village called Berrick Salome to the west, and a village called Sulham near Reading, Berkshire.The Church of England parish...
, that served as the family's home, as well as his father's showplace. It was there that his father designed elaborate landscapes that were "virtual outdoor rooms with carefully framed vistas". During the school year, Hicks boarded at the private, Stowe School
Stowe School
Stowe School is an independent school in Stowe, Buckinghamshire. It was founded on 11 May 1923 by J. F. Roxburgh, initially with 99 male pupils. It is a member of the Rugby Group and Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference. The school is also a member of the G20 Schools Group...
.
In 1978, the success of his father's business waned, forcing them to sell Britwell, their stately country house in Oxfordshire. Hicks attended the three-day Sotheby's house sale, 20–22 March 1979, with a friend from school who bid for a David Hicks table. After the auction, the Hicks family moved to the Grove, a smaller house on the estate, as well as a set of rooms at the Albany, the legendary early-19th-century London apartment building in Piccadilly.
Ancestry
Hicks is the grandson of the former Countess Mountbatten of BurmaEdwina Mountbatten, Countess Mountbatten of Burma
Edwina Cynthia Annette Mountbatten, Countess Mountbatten of Burma,, GBE, DCVO, CI, DStJ was an English heiress, socialite, relief-worker, wife of Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, and last Vicereine of India.- Lineage and wealth :Edwina Mountbatten, Countess Mountbatten of Burma...
, born Edwina Ashley, who was one of Britain's richest women when she inherited most of the £7.5 million fortune of her grandfather, Sir Ernest Cassel
Ernest Cassel
Sir Ernest Joseph Cassel, GCB, GCMG, GCVO, PC was a German-born British merchant banker and capitalist.-Biography:...
. Through Countess Mountbatten's paternal ancestral line, Hicks is the third great grandson of the 7th Earl of Shaftesbury
Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 7th Earl of Shaftesbury
Anthony Ashley Cooper, 7th Earl of Shaftesbury KG , styled Lord Ashley from 1811 to 1851, was an English politician and philanthropist, one of the best-known of the Victorian era and one of the main proponents of Christian Zionism.-Youth:He was born in London and known informally as Lord Ashley...
. Through his maternal grandfather, the 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma
Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma
Admiral of the Fleet Louis Francis Albert Victor Nicholas George Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, KG, GCB, OM, GCSI, GCIE, GCVO, DSO, PC, FRS , was a British statesman and naval officer, and an uncle of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
, Hicks is the second cousin of Charles, Prince of Wales
Charles, Prince of Wales
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...
. He is also the godson of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is the husband of Elizabeth II. He is the United Kingdom's longest-serving consort and the oldest serving spouse of a reigning British monarch....
.
Family tragedy
Hicks used to spend Christmas holidays at the Sligo Castle in Ireland and the Mountbatten family ancestral home at BroadlandsBroadlands
Broadlands is an English country house, located near the town of Romsey in Hampshire, England, United Kingdom.-History:The original manor and area known as Broadlands has belonged to Romsey Abbey since before the time of the 11-century English Norman Conquest.After the Dissolution of the...
in Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
, where the royal family
Royal family
A royal family is the extended family of a king or queen regnant. The term imperial family appropriately describes the extended family of an emperor or empress, while the terms "ducal family", "grand ducal family" or "princely family" are more appropriate to describe the relatives of a reigning...
were frequent guests. When Hicks was 16 years old, his grandfather and his cousin Nicholas Knatchbull
John Knatchbull, 7th Baron Brabourne
John Ulick Knatchbull, 7th Baron Brabourne, CBE , professionally known as John Brabourne, was a British peer, television producer and Academy-award nominated film producer....
were killed, when his grandfather's fishing boat, the Shadow V, was blown up by a Provisional Irish Republican Army
Provisional Irish Republican Army
The Provisional Irish Republican Army is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation whose aim was to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and bring about a socialist republic within a united Ireland by force of arms and political persuasion...
(IRA) bomb on Donegal Bay
Donegal Bay
Donegal Bay is an inlet in the northwest of Ireland. Three counties – Donegal to the north and west, Leitrim and Sligo to the south – have shorelines on the bay, which is bounded on the west by the Atlantic Ocean...
. "I didn't go on the boat because I went to buy some cigarettes. It was a beautiful summer's day and I was with India, watching television. We had the windows open and then we heard this big bang."
Marriage and family
On 18 October 1990, Hicks married Italian designer, Allegra Marina Federica Silvia Tondato in Wheatley, OxfordshireWheatley, Oxfordshire
Wheatley is a village and civil parish in Oxfordshire, about east of Oxford.-Archaeology:There was a Roman villa on Castle Hill, about southeast of the parish church. It was excavated in 1845, when Roman coins dating from AD 260 to 378 and fragments of Roman pottery and Roman tiles were...
. They met in 1988, at the Café de Paris
Café de Paris (London)
Café de Paris is a London nightclub, located in the West End, beside Leicester Square on Coventry Street, Piccadilly.It opened in 1924 and subsequently featured such performers as Dorothy Dandridge, Marlene Dietrich, Harry Gold, Harry Roy, Ken Snakehips Johnson and Maxine Cooper Gomberg...
in London, when he was a student at the Architectural Association and she was studying the history of art at Sotheby's
Sotheby's
Sotheby's is the world's fourth oldest auction house in continuous operation.-History:The oldest auction house in operation is the Stockholms Auktionsverk founded in 1674, the second oldest is Göteborgs Auktionsverk founded in 1681 and third oldest being founded in 1731, all Swedish...
. He proposed to her over "Twiglets
Twiglets
Twiglets are a wheat-based crisp snack shaped like small twigs, originating in the United Kingdom. The taste of Twiglets has been compared to Marmite.- Manufacture and marketing :...
and apple juice at the Groucho Club
Groucho Club
The Groucho Club is a well-known private social club located at Dean Street in Soho, London. Its members are mostly drawn from the media, entertainment, arts and fashion industries....
" in Soho
Soho
Soho is an area of the City of Westminster and part of the West End of London. Long established as an entertainment district, for much of the 20th century Soho had a reputation for sex shops as well as night life and film industry. Since the early 1980s, the area has undergone considerable...
, London. Born on 20 May 1960, in Turin, Italy
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
, Allegra is the daughter of Carlo Tondato and Rosy Maza. Two daughters were born from this marriage. Prince Charles is the godfather of their daughter, Angelica.
- Angelica Margherita Edwina Hicks was born on 16 September 1992, in St Mary's Hospital, PaddingtonPaddingtonPaddington is a district within the City of Westminster, in central London, England. Formerly a metropolitan borough, it was integrated with Westminster and Greater London in 1965...
, London - Ambrosia Maria Elizabeth Hicks was born on 23 January 1997, in St Mary's Hospital, Paddington, London
After their wedding, Hicks and his wife lived in a renovated building in New York City that belonged to the artist Marc Chagall
Marc Chagall
Marc Chagall Art critic Robert Hughes referred to Chagall as "the quintessential Jewish artist of the twentieth century."According to art historian Michael J...
's grandson. It was near Fifth Avenue, surrounded by the lofts and studios of local artists. While the building was renovated, the interior of their home was rather low scale, lacking air conditioning. Allegra said of their home, "Although it was a glamorous address it was, for us, more about the people who lived there." They lived in New York from 1991–92. In May 2009, the couple announced the end of their marriage. Today, Hicks divides his time between London and his family's old converted carriage house in Oxfordshire.
Professional background
Hicks cites his first decorating experience took place when he was 15 or 16 years old, when he decorated his room in a checkered black-and-white motif. Everything in his room had to be either black or white, including the ceiling and carpet.Influenced by his father, Hicks studied painting and fine art, graduating from the Bath School of Art and Design
Bath School of Art and Design
Bath School of Art and Design is an art college in Bath, England. It forms part of the Bath Spa University whose main campus is located a few miles from the City at Newton Park, near Corston, Somerset.-History:...
and trained with the Architectural Association School of Architecture
Architectural Association School of Architecture
The Architectural Association School of Architecture, more usually known as the AA, is an architectural school in London, United Kingdom...
, in London. He then worked briefly for his father's interior design house, before establishing his own architectural firm, designing interiors and furniture.
In 1997, Hicks began designing furniture at the Gem Palace in Jaipur, India
Jaipur
Jaipur , also popularly known as the Pink City, is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Rajasthan. Founded on 18 November 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, the ruler of Amber, the city today has a population of more than 3.1 million....
. His first piece was his interpretation of a Greek Klismos chair
Klismos
A klismos or klismos chair is a type of ancient Greek chair, familiar from depictions on painted pottery and in bas-reliefs from the mid-fifth century BCE onwards...
, based on a 1920s drawing by an architect. The chair is rendered in Burmese teak, with a seat made of interwoven straps of saddle leather. He describes the chair as "far more like the ancient Greek ones in its construction, than the Neoclassical
Neoclassicism
Neoclassicism is the name given to Western movements in the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that draw inspiration from the "classical" art and culture of Ancient Greece or Ancient Rome...
revivals". When Hicks initially designed in India, he designed under the moniker of "Jantar Mantar". Hicks explains, "It means abracadabra, also hocus pocus, and is local slang for the Jaipur Observatory
Jantar Mantar (Jaipur)
The Jantar Mantar is a collection of architectural astronomical instruments, built by Maharaja Jai Singh II at his then new capital of Jaipur between 1727 and 1734. It is modeled after the one that he had built for him at the Mughal capital of Delhi. He had constructed a total of five such...
."
In addition to interior and furniture design, Hicks produces a line of fabric, wallpaper, and carpeting entitled "David Hicks by Ashley Hicks". In 2002, along with his wife, he wrote Design Alchemy, which provided an overview of the interiors and products they designed. Hicks produced a series of Allegra Hicks shops, which offer a wide collection of home accessories.
In addition to his design catalogues and books, Hicks wrote and illustrated a children's book written for his daughters and friends. The book, Bebe Blue and the Evil Gangsta Rappers, was published by Smartleby Books in 2006.
Published works
- Hicks, Ashley. David Hicks: A Life of Design, Rizzoli, 2009. ISBN 978-0847833306
- Hicks, Ashley. David Hicks: Designer, Scriptum Editions, December 2002. ISBN 978-1902686196
- Hicks, Ashley; Hicks, Allegra; and Irons, Jeremy (foreword). Design Alchemy, Conran Octopus, May 2002. ISBN 978-1840911930
- Hicks, Ashley. Bebe Blue and the Evil Gangsta Rappers, Smartleby Books, 2006. ISBN 978-1599713885
Ahnentafel
External links
- http://www.ashleyhicks.com/
- http://www.ashleyhicksfurniture.com
- http://www.allegrahicks.com/