Kelly Hoppen
Kelly Elaine Hoppen CBE (born 28 July 1959) is a South African born, British interior designer, author, and proprietor of Kelly Hoppen Interiors. From 2013 to 2015 she was a "Dragon" on BBC Two's Dragons' Den.
Kelly Hoppen | |
---|---|
Born | Kelly Elaine Hoppen 28 July 1959 Cape Town, South Africa |
Nationality | British |
Occupation | Interior designer, author, proprietor, entrepreneur |
Television |
|
Spouse(s) | Graham Corrett
(m. 1982; div. 1989)Edwin Miller
(m. 1989; div. 2003) |
Children | 1 (Natasha Corrett) |
Website | Official website |
Family
Kelly Hoppen was born on 28 July 1959 in Cape Town, South Africa. Her mother Stephanie Hoppen (née Shub) is of Estonian-Jewish ancestry and her father Seymour Hoppen whose family is from Dublin, is of Irish-Jewish ancestry.[1] When Hoppen was two, her family relocated to London.[2] Hoppen briefly returned to South Africa when her father died. During her return to South Africa she played in a rock band and was arrested and imprisoned for violating apartheid laws by mixing with black musicians.[3]
Career
Hoppen began her career at 16 when she was given the opportunity to design a family friend's kitchen. She has designed for a number of celebrities, including David and Victoria Beckham; and Martin Shaw, who was one of her early clients.[4] She has designed the homes, yachts and jets of private clients, as well as commercial projects in several countries, including hotels, restaurants, offices and aircraft. Some of Hoppen's most recent projects include a collaboration with Disney to celebrate Mickey Mouse's 90th anniversary, the Celebrity Edge cruise ship for Celebrity Cruises, an ultra luxury residential tower block in Taiwan, One Park Taipei, and LUX* Grand Gaube hotel, the second hotel she has designed for LUX* in Mauritius.
Hoppen is the author of nine design books to date, and received much critical acclaim and recognition following the publication of her first book, East Meets West, which was published in 1997.[5] In November 2013, Hoppen published Kelly Hoppen Design Masterclass - How to Achieve the Home of your Dreams.
Hoppen is known for her signature neutral palette and trademark Perfect Neutrals, and is often referred to as the 'Queen of Taupe'.[6] She has said of her design philosophy, "My philosophy has always remained the same. It's about creating calm balanced environments based on Eastern cultures, i.e. order and creation of harmony. How people feel in a space is as important as the way it looks; one can't be without the other to succeed."[7]
In January 2014, she launched her first e-commerce store with a self-designed interiors accessories range. The same year the Daily Telegraph ranked her as the second most influential female interior designer in Britain.[8] In 2012, Vogue listed her among their list of 100 Inspirational Women and, in 2017, Evening Standard included her in their list of London's most influential people. Kelly also appears on QVC UK, showcasing her exclusive QVC K by Kelly Hoppen range of jewellery and homewares.
Television
In 2011, Hoppen presented her own show on Channel 5 called Superior Interiors with Kelly Hoppen.[9] Hoppen was a dragon on BBC Two's Dragons' Den[10] from 2013 to 2015.[11] In 2016, Kelly had a cameo appearance in Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie.
Hoppen appeared as a guest judge on the final episode of the third series of BBC Two's The Great Interior Design Challenge. In 2017, she replaced Sophie Robinson as a judge alongside Daniel Hopwood for series four.[12]
Honours and awards
In 1996, Hoppen was awarded the Andrew Martin Interior Design Award by Andrew Martin International. She has subsequently won a number of other awards including European Woman Of Achievement in 2007, ELLE Decoration Award and Grazia Designer of the Year.[4]
Hoppen was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2009 New Year Honours for services to interior design.[13] Hoppen is an Ambassador for the Prince's Trust, the Government's GREAT campaign and now works with UK Trade & Investment and other parts the government, as an adviser and mentor to small businesses. She is also an Ambassador for rainforest charity Cool Earth, alongside Patron Dame Vivienne Westwood, as well as breast cancer charity Future Dreams. She has also worked with Made by Dyslexia and The Diana Award.
In December 2013, Hoppen was awarded the Natwest Everywoman Ambassador award for inspiring young women to excel. On 29 October 2015, Hoppen was listed by UK-based company Richtopia at number 35 in the list of 100 Most Influential British Entrepreneurs.[14][15]
Hoppen was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2020 Birthday Honours for services to the GREAT campaign.[16]
Personal life
Hoppen has struggled in life because of her dyslexia.[17]
Hoppen has been married twice. Her first marriage was to Graham Corrett from 1982 until 1989. Through that marriage, she has one daughter, food writer Natasha Corrett. Her second marriage was to Edwin Miller from 1989 until 2003. Through that marriage, she was stepmother to actress Sienna Miller and fashion designer Savannah Miller.[3]
News of the World legal action
Hoppen lodged a claim against the News of the World and one of its reporters, Dan Evans, for "accessing or attempting to access her voicemail messages between June 2009 and March 2010".[18] Hoppen's case was one of five test cases concerning the hacking of the mobile phones of public figures by the paper due to be brought before the High Court early in 2012. In October 2011, she accepted £60,000 in damages from News International in relation to phone hacking in 2005-2006. No acceptance of liability was made in relation to the allegations against Evans in respect of 2009.[19] Since the settlement, her test case has been replaced by that of footballer Ashley Cole.[20]
References
- "Kelly Hoppen, the Dragon lady". 23 August 2013.
- "The London Magazine". www.thelondonmagazine.co.uk. Retrieved 19 October 2018.
- Rashty, Sandy (23 August 2013). "Kelly Hoppen, the Dragon lady". The Jewish Chronicle. Retrieved 19 October 2018.
- "Kelly Hoppen: 'I've had an amazingly colourful life...'". The Telegraph. 5 October 2007. Retrieved 11 August 2011.
- "'I thought I was having heart attacks': queen of calm Kelly Hoppen". Evening Standard. 20 December 2012.
- "An interview with Gary Rhodes". Caterer Search. 18 April 2007. Archived from the original on 1 December 2010. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
- "Styling Tips from Interior Designer Kelly Hoppen". Interiorish.com. 15 February 2013. Retrieved 23 January 2014.
- "Why are these Britain's most influential female designers?". The Daily Telegraph. 8 July 2014. Retrieved 27 September 2014.
- "Episodes - Superior Interiors with Kelly Hoppen". Channel 5. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
- , Digital Spy. 19 February 2013.
- Sam Rigby (23 January 2015). "Kelly Hoppen quits Dragons' Den". Digital Spy.
- Bullock, Andrew (3 August 2016). "The Great Interior Design Challenge given primetime slot as Kelly Hoppen joins as judge". Express.co.uk. Retrieved 29 December 2016.
- "No. 58929". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 2008. p. 18.
- "Teenage apprentice aged 17 ranked with Lord Sugar and Sir Richard Branson as top entrepreneur". Mirror. Retrieved 22 February 2016.
- "British Entrepreneurs Top 100: From Lord Sugar to Victoria Beckham, These Are the Most Influential Entrepreneurs in the UK". Richtopia. Archived from the original on 9 June 2016. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
- "No. 63135". The London Gazette (Supplement). 10 October 2020. p. B23.
- Karine Kong (15 July 2011). "La Famille... C'est Important - Kelly Hoppen". Huffington Post. Retrieved 10 August 2011.
- Milmo, Cahal (28 January 2011). "New claims suggest that phone hacking is still going on". The Independent. Retrieved 30 January 2011.
- "Kelly Hoppen accepts £60,000 damages in hacking case". BBC News. 7 October 2011. Retrieved 7 October 2011.
- Katy Dowell (25 July 2011). "NoW phone-hacking saga: the legal line-up". The Lawyer. Retrieved 10 August 2011.(subscription required)