Exhibition Celebrates Duchess Deborah Devonshire’s Influence on Fashion
Chatsworth House has launched a new exhibition, “Imaginary Conversations,” celebrating the legacy of the late dowager Duchess Deborah Devonshire and the Devonshire Collections. The exhibition, aligned with Erdem Moralioglu’s Spring Summer 2024 collection, explores the house as a source of inspiration for contemporary fashion design.
The exhibition invites visitors into Duchess Deborah’s world, showcasing how historical elements influence modern fashion. It features Erdem’s process of drawing inspiration from the duchess’s life, values, and passions, resulting in a collection that reflects her legacy. With permission from the Chatsworth House Trust and the Devonshire family, Erdem dedicated his Spring Summer 2024 collection to Duchess Deborah, accessing the house’s extensive archives for research. Archival fabrics, including historic curtains from Chatsworth, were repurposed and integrated into the collection.
The exhibition begins in the Wellington Bedroom, displaying Duchess Deborah’s inspirations alongside Erdem’s collection pieces. The Leicester Bedroom features draped textiles from the Devonshire archive and mannequins adorned with Erdem’s designs. The Wellington Dressing Room showcases the duchess’s cherished Elvis slippers. The Queen of Scots’ Bedroom displays a portrait of the duchess by John Ulbricht, while the Alcove Bedroom features pieces from her legendary jewelry collection alongside Erdem’s bejeweled textiles.
Visitors can see the tools and processes behind Erdem’s designs in the Queen of Scots’ Dressing Room, where fabric boards, maquettes, and toiles are displayed. The exhibition concludes in the Queen of Scots’ Lobby with personal items of the duchess, including letters, objects, and photographs that inspired Erdem. A recording of the duchess’s voice and a portrait by Lucian Freud add to the immersive experience.
Throughout the exhibition, projections of the Spring Summer 2024 catwalk show immerse visitors in the live fashion experience. The exhibition blurs the boundaries between the house, the duchess’s archive, and Erdem’s collection, showcasing the biographical power of fashion to tell ongoing stories. “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,” said Erdem Moralioglu MBE.
Lady Burlington commented, “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.”
Jane Marriott, Director of Chatsworth House Trust, added, “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.”
Susie Stokoe, Head of Textiles at Chatsworth, noted, “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.”
“Imaginary Conversations” is open to the public and offers a unique insight into the creative dialogue between the past and present, showcasing the enduring influence of Duchess Deborah Devonshire on contemporary fashion.
