GANJI
DESIGN DIRECTOR | HOSPITALITY, LUXURY INTERIORS
I lead the creative direction and delivery of luxury environments, building the teams, standards and systems that allow strong design ideas to scale without losing their integrity.
I’m an interior architect and design executive with more than fifteen years of experience across luxury residential, hospitality, furniture and fashion. My work sits at the intersection of creative direction and delivery, with a focus on shaping environments that feel intentional, distinctive and coherent from the first idea through final execution.
I began my career in Dubai, where I founded and led a luxury fashion house before expanding into interior architecture, bespoke furniture and hospitality design in the United States. That multidisciplinary background continues to influence the way I think about interiors, particularly through narrative, proportion, materiality, brand identity and the way people experience a space.
Today, I direct a portfolio of high-end residential and hospitality projects, leading creative strategy, client relationships, consultant coordination and multidisciplinary teams from concept and schematic design through documentation, procurement, construction and installation. I work closely with architects, engineers, contractors, fabricators and specialist consultants to translate ambitious ideas into environments that are both expressive and buildable.
Alongside creative leadership, I develop the standards, review processes and systems that help teams work with greater clarity and consistency across multiple concurrent projects. My focus is not simply on producing a strong concept, but on protecting its integrity as it moves through technical coordination, budgeting, value engineering, procurement and delivery.
Education
2014 - 2015
New York University · MA Individualized Studies: Luxury Brand Management
2008 - 2012
American University in Dubai · BfA Interior Architecture
2022-2023
University of Miami, Certificate Program ICF Coaching Standards
Certifications
Revit Architecture Certified Professional · Autodesk · Credential ID 00196544
Luxury Fashion Brand Management · London College of Fashion, University of the Arts London
Design Thinking · IDEO U
Product Management · eCornell, Cornell University
Core Competencies
Creative Direction & Concept Design
Design Direction · Concept & Schematic Design · Design Narratives & Storytelling · Space Planning · Materiality & Finishes · FF&E Strategy · Custom Furniture & Millwork · Lighting Direction · Branded & Guest Experience
Design Development & Delivery
Design Development · Construction Documentation & Administration · Design Assurance & QA/QC · Consultant Coordination · Shop Drawing & Submittal Review · Value Engineering · Installation Coordination
Leadership & Portfolio Management
Portfolio & Multi-Project Leadership · Team Building & Mentoring · Client & Executive Stakeholder Management · Consultant & Contractor Coordination · Operator Brand Standards · Scope, Schedule & Budget Oversight
Procurement & Production
Procurement Strategy · Vendor & Fabricator Networks · FF&E Coordination · Custom Product Development · Long-Lead Item Management · Freight, Customs & Warehousing · Installation Sequencing
Design Operations & Systems
Standards of Practice · Design Review Processes · Workflow & Database Design · Product Lifecycle Management · Process Automation · Programme & Budget Controls
Languages
English, German & Farsi, native/bilingual · French, professional working proficiency · Arabic & Italian, elementary
Selected Publications
2026
Architectural Digest, Rick Ross’s Miami Beach House
2026
Hospitality Net, Rimrock Emblem Collections
2025
Condé Nast Traveller, 1 Hotel Seattle: A nature-first urban retreat with views of the Space Needle.
2025
Travel + Leisure, World's Best Awards: 1 Hotel Seattle
2024
California Home + Design, A New Beginning
2023
Architectural Digest, The Lakefront Seattle Escape of Celebrity Hairstylist Jen Atkin Was Meant To Be
2023
2023
Architectural Digest, Inside the Mesmerizing Hamptons Home of Photographers Inez and Vinoodh
Earlier Fashion & Brand Press
2017
Style.com/Arabia , Swarovski Highlights Neo-Arabia
2016
Hello! Magazine, Olivia Culpo Reveals All About Her Fashion Favorites, Print
2015
Nowfashion, A Middle Eastern Renaissance
2015
Mojeh Magazine, Finding The One, Print
2015
Grazia Luxury, Print
2013
Hello! Magazine, Couture's Orchid, Print
Presentations + Exhibits
2016
Orkalia - Spring Summer 2017 Collection Launch at Paris Fashion Week
2016
Spring Summer 2017 Collection Review at Fashion Forward Dubai
2016
Orkalia - Ramadan Collaboration with HRH Sheikha Maitha Al Maktoum
2016
Orkalia - Fall Winter 2016 Collection Review at Fashion Forward Dubai
2015
Spring Summer 2016 Collection Review at Fashion Forward Dubai
2015
Fall Winter 2015 Collection Reviewat Fashion Forward Dubai
2015
Spring Summer 2015 Collection Launch - "Breakfast at Orkalia"
2015
Spring Summer 2015 Collection Review at Siddharta Lounge Dubai
2012
Rolls Royce Launch Phantom II Model with Runway Show