Behind Mamai is the one woman power house Mahila. Her name translates to woman in Sanskrit, cementing her destiny with all that is feminine from a very young age. Born into a family of artists, Mahila is of French, Vietnamese and Spanish heritage. She was raised in the culturally rich Auroville in South India, making her global immersion even deeper.

In 2009, she moved to France to study Fine Arts with a concentration on experimental installations and performances. Later, while on one of her bohemian travels to Mexico, fate intervened and she met her calling. Intrigued by the artistry of jewelry, she fell upon an artisan on a beach. Both of them sat together to co-create a custom piece. Following her trip, Mahila began studying jewelry
creation techniques online. She eventually went to Rajasthan to hone her skills. Now she acts as the life force of Mamaï, filling the roles of jewelry designer, production manager, marketing manager, sales manager, and creative director.

The French expression avoir le cul entre deux chaises, meaning “to have one’s bottom between two chairs”, defines
Mahila’s story in a nutshell. Since much of her life journey was finding out where she belongs, today she surrenders and understands both the Asian dichotomy of life with its perpetual duality rooted in nature, and the Western individuality of spirit. Mahila leads the way of owning this dichotomy connecting her to all of us, through a hybrid expression as she straddles all her worlds with aplomb.