Eva Jiřičná (CZE)

On 1 August 1968 Eva Jiřičná travelled to London for an internship, but when Warsaw Pact forces occupied Czechoslovakia the authorities revoked her foreign travel permit, so she did not return home.
In her London exile, she soon found work at the architecture department of the Greater London Council. In 1969 she moved to Louis de Soissons’ studio, where she worked until 1980. Her first designs at the studio included a marina in Brighton. A turning point in Jiřičná’s career was a chance meeting with the fashion designer Joseph Ettedgui, who asked her to design his own London apartment and subsequently several London stores of his Joseph brand. These designs led to commissions from a number of luxury retailers (including Boodles, Harrods, Hugo Boss, Joan & David, Kenzo and Vidal Sassoon), who were captivated by Jiřičná’s unique, elegant style and her innovative approach to interior design. Steve Jobs was also keen to work with her. Jiřičná joined forces with the Czech architect Jan Kaplický and his Future Systems studio to design the ‘Way In’ department at the Harrods store in London – a design that won her many accolades and awards.
In 1987 Eva Jiřičná started her own studio in London; today it has branches in London (Eva Jiricna Architects) and Prague (AI Design Praha). Jiřičná has become renowned thanks to her interior designs for London and New York fashion houses. Her distinctive signature is her highly creative use of glass and steel, contributing to her modern, elegant and clean style. A recurring feature of her designs is their incorporation of finely crafted decorative staircases, which accentuate and complement the harmonious interiors.
On 19 May 1997 Eva Jiřičná became a member of the Royal Academy. She is the holder of numerous awards and honorary doctorates from universities around the world, and she has also been awarded the Order of the British Empire for her lifelong work.