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.
'Imaginary Conversations' runs at Chatsworth from 22 June - 20 October 2024.
To buy tickets, please click here.
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.
‘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
'Imaginary Conversations' runs at Chatsworth from 22 June - 20 October 2024.
With special thanks to FARFETCH.
To buy tickets, click here.