Sophie Conran - Career

Career

After leaving school at 17, Conran worked as an apprentice for couture milliner Stephen Jones 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 development and overhauled the Design Museum 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 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. 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, 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 a variety of areas. Ties remain close with Conran stepping in to help on Jasper’s Sackville 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 (£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 launched nationwide in the UK. It received an Elle 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's Festival of Trees fundraising event.

In 2007, Conran collaborated with Notting Hill 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, ginger and cranberry.

In 2008 Sophie teamed up with luxury bathroom store Drummonds of Chelsea 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 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 the Sheffield based company Burgon & Ball, which were in stores from April 2011. The range was shortlisted for Product of the Year at the Chelsea Flower Show 2011.