Imaginary Conversations is a new exhibition at Chatsworth celebrating the image and legacy of the late dowager Duchess Deborah Devonshire and the Devonshire Collections through the Spring Summer 2024 collection of fashion designer Erdem Moralioglu. The exhibition explores the house as a source of inspiration in dialogue with Erdem’s collection. Visitors are welcomed into Duchess Deborah’s world while understanding how the past informs the present in the process of creating a contemporary fashion collection.
A journey through the Regency Guest Bedrooms at Chatsworth brings to life Erdem’s process, showcasing the inspiration, craft and tools involved in translating the life and legacy of an individual subject into a fully realised fashion collection. As the exhibition title suggests, the process is much like a dialogue; stories are woven back-and-forth between protagonist and designer. The result is a collection inspired by Duchess Deborah’s personality, values and passions, as much as her wardrobe.
Erdem was given permission by Chatsworth House Trust, the charity that looks after the house, garden and collections at Chatsworth, and the Devonshire family to dedicate his Spring Summer 2024 collection to Duchess Deborah and was allowed access to the extensive archives for research and development. Archival fabrics from the collection including historic curtains that once hung within Chatsworth were repurposed and reimagined into the collection. The resulting exhibition gives us a remarkable insight into Duchess Deborah’s life and Erdem’s design process simultaneously.
About the exhibition:
The exhibition begins in the Queen of Scots’ Lobby. Cases are filled with material that once belonged to Duchess Deborah, including letters, objects and photographs of particular inspiration to Erdem. A recording of the duchess’s voice, used in the Spring Summer 24 soundtrack of the show, plays in the background, and Lucian Freud’s portrait of the duchess, Woman in a White Shirt, brings her voice to life. Entering the Queen of Scots’ Dressing Room, we are transported to a cutting room in Erdem’s atelier, seeing up close the tools and processes involved in designing a fashion collection. Fabric boards and maquettes are joined by the toiles that were the starting point for the collection, together with garments from Duchess Deborah’s own couture collection.
In the Queen of Scot’s Bedroom we are greeted by a large portrait of Duchess Deborah by John Ulbricht. In the Alcove Bedroom, select pieces from Duchess Deborah’s legendary jewellery collection of insects are displayed in cases alongside pieces from Erdem’s collection, featuring bejewelled and embroidered textiles, as if the insects have taken flight from their cases and landed on the garments.
The Leicester Bedroom is a dramatic combination of large swathes of draped textiles from the Devonshire archive set amongst mannequins wearing pieces from Erdem’s collection featuring the archival curtain material. The interplay of textiles gives the impression that the garments are emerging from the very fabric of the building itself. In the Wellington Dressing Room next door, our attention is drawn to a single exhibit in a case by the Polonaise bed, Duchess Deborah’s legendary, cherished Elvis slippers. The exhibition concludes in the Wellington Bedroom, where Duchess Deborah’s own inspirations and passions are displayed alongside looks from Erdem’s collection that honour them.
At various junctures throughout the exhibition, largescale projections play of the Spring Summer 24 catwalk show, immersing visitors into the heart of the live experience, and bringing the fashion show to its spiritual home. Across the exhibition, the boundaries between the house and the duchess’s archive, and Erdem’s own material and collection, are frequently blurred, interspersed and interwoven. Imaginary Conversations reveals the biographical and anthropological power of fashion to tell ongoing stories about people, time and place, together.
‘I have always wanted to create a collection on Deborah, Duchess of Devonshire and the history of Chatsworth. I have long been fascinated by her story and found the archives at Chatsworth to be endlessly inspiring.’
- Erdem Moralioglu MBE
‘Chatsworth’s fashion archive is perhaps a lesser-known part of the collection, but seeing Duchess Deborah’s clothing inspire this new body of work by Erdem, and being able to bring these pieces back to Chatsworth with the original source material has been an incredibly rewarding process. Debo loved clothes and creativity and I hope she would be quietly pleased to see all these things she enjoyed inspire Erdem and fuel his work.’
- Lady Burlington
‘For five centuries, Chatsworth has been a home of creativity and a source of inspiration for countless designers, makers, and artists, and we are delighted to build on this legacy with Imaginary Conversations. The exhibition provides insight into Erdem’s creative process, from the initial thrill of discovery when delving into the Devonshire Archives, to the artistry and techniques of his new designs. As a charity, we care for the incredible Devonshire Collections in order to share them with everyone. It is so exciting to see the historic collections reimagined through a contemporary lens in this way, and we hope that by sharing the process behind this collaboration we can inspire the next generation of creative leaders.’
- Jane Marriott, Director, Chatsworth House Trust
‘In recent years, the textiles collection at Chatsworth has undergone a rigorous process of documentation, making the collection accessible to researchers and designers. It is a joy to see the collection being used as a point of inspiration by Erdem. Seeing the historic collection brought to life and reimagined through a contemporary lens is incredibly important to us, and Erdem’s exploration of textiles, prints, jewellery and photographs in the Devonshire Collections demonstrates a valuable collaboration between past and present.’
- Susie Stokoe, Head of Textiles, Chatsworth
Imaginary Conversations is sponsored by Farfetch.
About Chatsworth:
Located within the Peak District National Park, Chatsworth is home to the Devonshire family. It comprises a Grade I listed house and stables, a 105-acre garden, a1,822-acre park, a farmyard and adventure playground, and one of Europe’s most significant private art collections.
Chatsworth is also a registered charity. Chatsworth House Trust is dedicated to looking after the house, collections, garden, and parkland, for everyone. Visitor income funds essential conservation and an ambitious programme of exhibitions, events, learning and community outreach. Every penny generated by ticket sales and membership is reinvested into the charity to make this possible.
Chatsworth plays an important role in the local community as a thriving cultural and educational destination, a nationally important historic landscape, and a working estate that operates with a mindful approach to the environment and sustainability.
About ERDEM:
ERDEM is an independent house of bold fashion for women, based in London. Founded in 2005 by designer Erdem Moralioglu MBE, the brand has forged its own path within the industry. Poetic and rigorous, ageless and timeless, powerful and versatile, Erdem’s world is an intriguing interplay of strength and beauty.
In eighteen years, Erdem has established an exuberant language of femininity that transcends fashion to inspire strength and confidence in the women for whom he designs. It is a passionate language that is evocative and eccentric in character, fluently spoken with a beauty that is intense and romantic. The house of ERDEM is cultured and erudite, underpinned by a belief in the power and skill of craftsmanship. Mind and hand work together to bring imagination to life with precision, artistry and the compelling dexterity of the handmade. Respect for traditional skills is combined with an excitement for innovation, in technique and application. Erdem is at heart a storyteller. Collections are formed around a narrative, championing heroic women at a particular place and a moment in time. The Erdem flagship store opened in 2015 on South Audley Street, Mayfair.
About Farfetch:
Farfetch is a leading global marketplace for the luxury fashion industry. Farfetch connects customers in over 190 countries and territories with items from more than 50 countries and over 1,400 of the world’s best brands, boutiques, and department stores, delivering a truly unique shopping experience and access to the most extensive selection of luxury on a global marketplace.
For more information, please visit www.farfetch.com.