Business news: British designer Jasper Conran has resigned from his position as head of the family business, less than two years after taking over Conran Holdings from his father Terence.

Jasper Conran stepped down as chairman and chief creative officer of the UK design company on 24 September 2015, according to recent reports.

"I have had to make a difficult yet practical decision as to how I dedicate my time going forward," he said in a statement. "For the past four years I have been juggling the demands of two highly complex full time jobs and have come to the conclusion that this is simply not sustainable for me."

Jasper, 56, was handed the title of chairman by his father in 2012, and fully took the reins when Terence, 83, stepped down as director in March 2014.

Terence Conran is one of the most prominent names in British design. In 1964 he founded homeware chain Habitat, which brought contemporary design to UK high streets. He also helped set up London's Design Museum in 1989.

Jasper's resignation came a day after Terence gave a candid interview to London's Evening Standard newspaper about the family and business.

"He's got a great sense of design," said Terence in the interview. "But I kept on saying 'I've got the experience and knowledge, I know things you don't. I know how to design furniture'."

Conran Holdings encompasses both the Conran and Partners design consultancy, and The Conran Shop, which has stores in London, Paris and across Japan.

During Jasper's stint in charge, the stores in Chelsea, Marylebone and the French capital were refurbished and a new website was launched.

Conran and Partners' current projects include the transformation of a block at London's Brutalist Barbican Estate from a youth hostel to high-end apartments, and the restoration of the city's Centre Point tower.

It recently completed its redevelopment of Tokyo's Futako-Tamagawa area, the city's largest building project of the last decade.

Portrait of Jasper Conran courtesy of Debenhams.