Terence Conran

One of the world's leading designers, furniture-makers, restaurateurs and retailers, Sir Terence Conran has been influencing the nation's tastes since the fifties.

Born in 1931, he created the Habitat chain of home furnishing stores that revolutionised the high street in the sixties and seventies, bringing intelligent, modern designs to the population.

In the 1990s, he founded Conran Holdings, a group of companies involved in design, retail, restaurants and hotels. Today, the business has grown to employ over 2000 staff and owns restaurants and shops in cities around the world.

Sir Terence's philosophy has always been ‘plain, simple and useful', demonstrating his belief that if products, buildings or interiors are thoughtfully designed, they will help improve the quality of life of those who use them. This belief extends into his support of education in design; he founded the Design Museum in London and until recently was the provost of the Royal College of Art.

He has written over 50 informative books that reflect his design philosophy, including The Essential House Book, Terence Conran on Design and Easy Living.

In autumn 2011, Sir Terence embarked on designing an exclusive collection of furniture and homeware for M&S – bringing Sir Terence’s philosophy of creating affordable, beautiful and functional design to the British high street.

Get the latest news from the Conran team at M&S Stories