Introduction
Jasper Alexander Thirlby Conran OBE (born 12 December 1959) is an English designer. He has worked on collections of womenswear and for the home, as well as productions for the stage in ballet, opera and theatre.
Early life
He is the second son of Sir Terence Conran, a designer; and Shirley Conran, an author; his birth parents divorced when he was two years of age. He was educated at Port Regis School and Bryanston School in the 1970s; he also studied at the Parsons School of Art and Design in New York, United States (US).
Professional career
Conran's first collection was for Henri Bendel in New York City. In 1978, aged 19, Conran designed his first womenswear collection under his own name. The following year he was elected to be part of the London Designer collections. Conran designed his first menswear collection in 1985. Conran designed the wedding dress of Lady Sarah Chatto (formerly Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones) in 1994. He also designed clothes for Diana, Princess of Wales.
In 1999, he began designing a signature range of stemware for Stuart Crystal and later for Waterford Crystal. In 2001, he launched a fine bone china tableware collection for Wedgwood.
In 1996, Conran launched a womenswear range for the Debenhams chain of department stores in the UK. He has subsequently designed women's accessories, lingerie, hosiery, menswear, men's accessories, childrenswear, and homeware for the company. Since 2005 he has also designed luggage for Tripp, whose products are sold through Debenhams stores.
Conran has released furnishing, fabric and wallpaper collections for Designers Guild, as well as a range of signature fragrances in 2003.
In 2004, Conran designed and launched a three-range fireplace collection for Chesney's. He launched the Jasper Conran Optical range with Specsavers in 2008.
Conran is the chairman and chief executive of Jasper Conran Holdings Ltd. Conran was appointed as creative director of the Conran Shop in 2011, and, in 2012, Conran was appointed as the chairman. In March 2014, Conran was appointed Chairman of Conran Holdings Ltd.
Conran published his first book, Jasper Conran Country in 2010. The 300-page photographic essay was completed during a year of exploration around the English countryside.
Conran is a Patron of the Work-Life Balance Trust and is a Trustee of the Wallace Collection. He has also served several times on the British Fashion Council, and is a Visiting Professor at the University of the Arts London.
Performing arts
Throughout his career, Conran has pursued his passion for the performing arts—he has designed costumes and sets for fourteen ballet, opera and theatre productions.
Conran collaborated with David Bintley on the Royal Ballet's production of Tombeaux, held at Covent Garden, and a series of productions by the Birmingham Royal Ballet, including The Nutcracker Sweeties, Brahms/Handel Variations, The Shakespeare Suite and Arthur Part I & II. He also designed the set and costumes for Bintley's The Compleat Consort, produced for the Bayerisches Staatsballett in Munich, Germany.
Other works include the production of My Fair Lady directed by Simon Callow, Donzetti's opera Maria Stuarda for ENO and Galina Samsova's productions of Swan Lake and The Sleeping Beauty for the Scottish Ballet.
In 1991, Conran won the Laurence Olivier Award for Costume Design for Jean Anouilh's The Rehearsal at the Almeida Theatre in London, UK.
Private life
Conran is gay and, in 2009, he was ranked number 66 in the annual Pink List of 100 influential gay and lesbian people in Britain, published by The Independent on Sunday. In 2010, this list described him as a "National Treasure". In December 2015, he married Irish artist and performer Oisin Byrne.
Awards
- 1982: Fil d'Or International Linen Award
- 1983: Fil d'Or International Linen Award
- 1986: Designer of the Year by the British Fashion Council
- 1987: Fashion Group of America Award
- 1991: The Laurence Olivier Award for 'Costume Designer of the Year' – Jean Anouilh's "The Rehearsal"
- 1991: The British Fashion Council's British Collections Award
- 2003: 'The Prince's Medal', Homes and Gardens Classic Design Award
- 2004: Honorary Doctorate from Heriot-Watt University
- 2005: The Design and Decoration 'Objects of Desire' Award
- 2006: Homes and Gardens 'Classic Design' Award
- 2008: Appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)
- 2011: Condé Nast Traveller:Innovation & Design Award for 'Style on the Move' with Tripp Luggage
- Honorary Doctor of Civil Law at the University of East Anglia.
- ^ "Jasper Conran" (PDF). London Fashion Week 2012. 2012. Retrieved 4 October 2012.
- "HW Minutes 2004" (PDF).
- Tim Walker (20 March 2008). "Picture Post: The Palace catwalk, 19.03.08". The Independent. Retrieved 5 October 2012.
- "Innovation & Design Awards 2011: the winners" Condé Nast Traveller