Eileen Gray was born in Ireland in 1878. She grew up in London and was one of the first women admitted to the Slade School of Art in 1898. She moved to Paris in 1902 and after training in Japanese lacquer work she quickly established herself as one of the leading designers of lacquered screens and decorative panels. During the 1920s and 1930s she became one of the leading exponents of revolutionary new theories of design. She worked closely with many of the outstanding figures of the modern movement, including J J P Oud, Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret - names now synonymous with the concept of designer furniture. One of Eileen Gray's last tasks in the early 1970s was to work with Zeev Aram on the introduction of her designs onto the world market. In 1973 Eileen Gray granted the worldwide rights to manufacture and distribute her designs to Aram Designs Ltd, London. Aram holds the worldwide head license for Eileen Gray designs, and is the only UK source for the authentic products.