Sophie Conran
Encyclopedia
Early life
Conran is the daughter of designer and restaurateur Sir Terence Conran and food writer Caroline Conran, the sister of fashion designer Jasper ConranJasper Conran
Jasper Alexander Thirlby Conran OBE is an English fashion designer. He is the son of the designer Sir Terence Conran and the author Shirley Conran.-Education:He was educated at Port Regis School and Bryanston School in the 1970s...
, restaurateur Tom, artist Edmund and product designer Sebastian
Sebastian Conran
-Early life:Born 5 April 1956 at Hyde Park Corner in London), his father is designer Terence Conran and mother, author and journalist Shirley Conran. He is the elder brother of the fashion designer Jasper Conran....
.
Career
After leaving school at 17, Conran worked as an apprentice for couture milliner Stephen JonesStephen Jones (milliner)
Stephen Jones OBE is a leading British milliner based in London, who is considered one of the world's most radical and important milliners of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. He is also one of the most prolific, having created hats for the catwalk shows of many leading couturiers and...
before joining the fashion team at the studio of her brother Jasper. Following this thorough immersion in the fashion world, Conran interior-designed apartments and show flats in the Butler's Wharf
Butler's Wharf
Butler's Wharf is a historic building on the south bank of the River Thames just east of London's Tower Bridge, now housing luxury flats and restaurants. Lying between the picturesque street Shad Thames and the Thames Path, it overlooks both the bridge and St Katharine Docks on the other side of...
development and overhauled the Design Museum
Design Museum
Design Museum is a museum by the River Thames near Tower Bridge in central London, England. The museum covers product, industrial, graphic, fashion and architectural design. It was founded in 1989 and claims to be the first museum of modern design...
Shop’s collections where she also acted as a buyer. At the same time, she worked as a buyer for The Conran Shop and eventually launched her own store ‘Wong Singh Jones’ (W11). Nicknamed ‘corner shop to the world’, it showcased a selection of cultural icons.
At 20, Conran bought her Bayswater
Bayswater
Bayswater is an area of west London in the City of Westminster and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea to the west . It is a built-up district located 3 miles west-north-west of Charing Cross, bordering the north of Hyde Park over Kensington Gardens and having a population density of...
flat, then a cluster of unpromising bed-sits. She reunited the rooms, renovated and decorated throughout. Shown to friends and family, private interior design commissions followed. Her base to this day, Conran recently bought a small adjoining flat, renovated it and incorporated it into her home.
In the early 1990s, Conran lived in Australia her where projects included design direction and new product development for the homewares range of Country Road
Country Road
Country Road is an upscale store located in Australia and New Zealand clothing retailer, with 68 free standing stores and 77 department store concessions. It is traded on the Australian Stock Exchange, with South African company Woolworths Holdings Limited owning 88%...
. Whilst there, she took over a rammed-earth shack tucked away in the rugged terrain of the state of Victoria. The shack was a shell with outside lavatory.
On returning to the United Kingdom, Conran worked for her father accessorising his restaurants whilst renovating a dilapidated farm in Devon, rearing pigs and growing vegetables. With a large garden Conran’s horticultural skills, honed in Australia and at the Chelsea Physic Garden
Chelsea Physic Garden
The Chelsea Physic Garden was established as the Apothecaries’ Garden in London, England in 1673. It is the second oldest botanical garden in Britain, after the University of Oxford Botanic Garden, which was founded in 1621.Its rock garden is the oldest English garden devoted to alpine plants...
, were put to good use. After a few years Jasper tempted her back to work as a Colour Director and then as a Product Manager in an variety of areas. Ties remain close with Conran stepping in to help on Jasper’s Sackville Street
Sackville Street
Sackville Street may refer to:*Sackville Street , a street in central Manchester, England and also the name of a large, historic building on that street...
townhouse store before the 2005 opening.
Sophie Conran Pies, a capsule collection of gourmet pies launched in 2004 -winners of 4 Fine Food Awards in 2005 — were not her first foray into the food world. Back in her twenties Conran first created a supper club and then collaborated with brother, Tom. Together they set up a catering company, an experience that helps in her role as patron for Breakthrough for Breast Cancer’s Breakthrough Banquet initiative, now in its second year.
Conran’s debut cookbook – Pies – was published in November 2006 by HarperCollins
HarperCollins
HarperCollins is a publishing company owned by News Corporation. It is the combination of the publishers William Collins, Sons and Co Ltd, a British company, and Harper & Row, an American company, itself the result of an earlier merger of Harper & Brothers and Row, Peterson & Company. The worldwide...
(£12.99), and was a success, with a mini version entitled Easy Pies selling exclusively at Marks and Spencers in 2008. Her second book, Soups and Stews, was published by Collins in October 2008 and a further cookery book is in the pipeline. She has written food & entertaining stories for many UK titles including InStyle and Living, etc., and for the last two years has been a contributing editor to Junior magazine with a two-page Food and Drink column.
In March 2006, Conran’s kitchen, glass and tableware range for Portmeirion
Portmeirion Pottery
Portmeirion is a British pottery company based in Stoke-on-Trent.-History:Portmeirion Pottery came into being in 1960 when the pottery designer Susan Williams-Ellis and her husband, Euan Cooper-Willis took over a small pottery decorating company in Stoke-on-Trent called A. E. Gray Ltd.. Susan...
launched nationwide in the UK. It received an Elle
Elle (magazine)
Elle is a worldwide magazine of French origin that focuses on women's fashion, beauty, health, and entertainment. Elle is also the world's largest fashion magazine. It was founded by Pierre Lazareff and his wife Hélène Gordon in 1945. The title, in French, means "she".-History:Elle was founded in...
Deco Style Award for Best in Kitchens 2006 and the House Beautiful Award for Best in Tableware in 2008. Conran then created a fine dining range, White Oak, launched in the USA. Sophie Conran for Portmeirion is sold in over 55 countries. The range is continuously expanding and now includes storage, candles and a bathroom range, and is available in 7 colours.
In December 2007, Conran was a designer in the Save the Children
Save the Children
Save the Children is an internationally active non-governmental organization that enforces children's rights, provides relief and helps support children in developing countries...
's Festival of Trees fundraising event.
In 2007, Conran collaborated with Notting Hill
Notting Hill
Notting Hill is an area in London, England, close to the north-western corner of Kensington Gardens, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea...
Melt chocolates, to create a chocolate inspired by sweet pies from her first book Sophie Conran's Pies. The chocolate uses a combination of flavours including Earl Grey tea
Earl Grey tea
Earl Grey tea is a tea blend with a distinctive flavour and aroma derived from the addition of oil extracted from the rind of the bergamot orange, a fragrant citrus fruit....
, ginger
Ginger
Ginger is the rhizome of the plant Zingiber officinale, consumed as a delicacy, medicine, or spice. It lends its name to its genus and family . Other notable members of this plant family are turmeric, cardamom, and galangal....
and cranberry
Cranberry
Cranberries are a group of evergreen dwarf shrubs or trailing vines in the subgenus Oxycoccus of the genus Vaccinium. In some methods of classification, Oxycoccus is regarded as a genus in its own right...
.
In 2008 Sophie teamed up with luxury bathroom store Drummonds of Chelsea
Chelsea, London
Chelsea is an area of West London, England, bounded to the south by the River Thames, where its frontage runs from Chelsea Bridge along the Chelsea Embankment, Cheyne Walk, Lots Road and Chelsea Harbour. Its eastern boundary was once defined by the River Westbourne, which is now in a pipe above...
to redesign their Chelsea showroom. Their relationship continues into 2011 with the launch of a range of coloured baths.
Also in 2008 Sophie began a collaboration with UK wallpaper company Arthouse, to create exclusive collections of wallpapers for B&Q
B&Q
B&Q plc is a multinational DIY and home improvement retailer headquartered in Eastleigh, United Kingdom. It was founded in 1969 and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kingfisher plc, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange....
stores throughout the UK. The range was launched in over 300 stores around the UK and is updated every 6 months. This was followed by Sophie's Pattern Book, a brand new luxury designer-wallpaper collection, comprising 10 new designs and numerous colourways, now in 450 stores worldwide.
In Summer 2009, Sophie worked with Sara Saxon and Steven Collins to create Sophie Conran for Temple Guiting, a stunning barn and manor house in the Cotswolds. The venue offers bespoke, luxury, gastronomic house parties.
2010 saw Sophie launch her debut cutlery collection with British manufacturer Arthur Price. The "Rivelin" collection initially comprised 44 pieces but has been further extended in 2011 to include new cutlery items. Spring 2011 has seen another important launch for Sophie. She has created an exciting range of garden tools and the Great Outdoors gift collection with British manufacturer Burgon & Ball, which were in stores from April 2011. The range was shortlisted for Product of the Year at the Chelsea Flower Show 2011.