Sir terence conran biography

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    A Lifetime of Design: Sir Terence Conran

    Terence Conran during the 1940s

    From textiles to furniture, architecture, restaurants and book publishing, British designer Sir förnamn Conran fryst vatten one of the foremost figures of the late 20th century. A man of many talents, his simple, streamlined designs had widespread, mass appeal. Perhaps best known for founding the Habitat stores and penning the iconic 1970s lifestyle publication The House Book, Conran was also a widely influential fabric, pattern and furniture designer, whose aesthetics reflected influences from the Bauhaus, post-war Modernism and Scandinavian craftsmanship. He said in one of his later interviews, “I’ve spent a colourful lifetime working in design and everything related to it.”

    Furnishing fabric designed bygd Sir förnamn Conran, 1953. Mus. no. CIRC.503A-1953 © Image Victoria and Albert Museum

    Conran was born in Kingston Upon Thames, London in 1931. In 1948, he enrolled in the Central School of Arts & Crafts

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    Remembering Sir Terence Conran

    Lecturer Caroline MacDonald-Haig shares her experience of working for the trailblazing designer.

    May 1964 Habitat Staff line up. Terence centre stage in authentic butcher’s apron From Smithfield Meat Market wholesalers

    In May 1964 Terence Conran opened the first Habitat in London’s Fulham Road. The press was ecstatic. ‘What the smart chicks are buying’, headlined The Sunday Times, quoting photographer Terence Donovan: ‘It’s the sort of shop where you go in to buy a skewer and come out with a butcher’s block under your arm.’

    Terence’s vision – a passionate belief in the democratisation of design and that intelligent design could improve everyone’s quality of life – was consolidated in Habitat’s first 10 years, displayed in all 22 stores and the annual Habitat catalogues, which are now collectors’ items. In the early 1970s I was there at Conran Associates in Neal Street, Covent Garden.

    The cleverest cover of all: 1974

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    Sir Terence Conran Timeline

    1931 Born in Kingston upon Thames

    1948 Enrolled in Central School of Arts & Crafts

    1949 Shared a studio in London’s East End with Eduardo Paolozzi. Began making furniture

    1950 On the advice of his tutor leaves course at Central to work for architect Dennis Lennon. In the evenings he works on window displays in Simpsons, Piccadilly

    1952 Opens Conran & Company from a basement in Notting Hill, selling furniture from a showroom in Piccadilly Arcade

    1953 Opens Soup Kitchen in Chandos Place, inspired by the elegant simplicity of affordable restaurants in France at the time. It housed the second Gaggia coffee machine in London

    1954 Opens Orrery restaurant on Kings Road

    1955 Started Conran Fabrics

    1956 Set up Conran Design Group, designing among other things a store for Mary Quant in Knightsbridge

    1963 Moved his operations to 40,000 square foot factory in Thetford, Norfolk, taking 80 staff and their families wit