Chatsworth's late Duchess and historic textiles inspire new collection by fashion house ERDEM whose clients include Kate Middleton, Michelle Obama and Alexa Chung

Erdem Moralioglu MBE, creative director and founder at ERDEM, has reimagined the shapes, silhouettes and styles worn by Duchess Deborah and archival fabrics including historic curtains that hung in the Derbyshire stately home.

The London-based fashion house’s spring summer 2024 collection will be showcased at Chatsworth in an exhibition titled Imaginary Conversations which opens on June 22 and runs until October 20. Key looks from the collection will sit alongside historic prints and drawings, textiles and jewellery which inspired the designs.

Erdem’s high profile clients include Kate Middleton, Michelle Obama and Alexa Chung and his designs are worn by Kiera Knightley, Claudia Schiffer, Thandie Newton and Chloe Sevigny at red carpet events around the world.

He said: “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 and his design team were given access to the extensive archives at Chatsworth during the research and development process.

Lady Burlington said: “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.”

The Imaginary Conversations exhibition begins in the Queen of Scots’ Lobby, with cases filled with material that once belonged to Duchess Deborah, including letters, objects and photographs of particular inspiration to Erdem.

At various points throughout the exhibition, large-scale projections will play the Spring Summer 24 catwalk show, immersing visitors in the live experience.

A recording of the Duchess’s voice, used in the Spring Summer 24 fashion show soundtrack for the launch at the British Museum, will play in the background, and Lucian Freud’s portrait of the Duchess, Woman in a White Shirt, will bring her voice to life. Whilst select pieces from Duchess Deborah’s legendary jewellery collection of insects will also be displayed amongst pieces from Erdem’s collection.

The exhibition concludes in the Wellington Bedroom, where Duchess Deborah’s own inspirations and passions are to be displayed alongside the looks from Erdem’s collection that honour them.

Jane Marriott, director at Chatsworth House Trust, commented: “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.”

Find out more from the Chatsworth textiles team on June 24, July 29 and August 15 in ERDEM: Creating a collection.

Access to the exhibition is included with all house and garden tickets. To book and for further information, visit www.chatsworth.org/events/erdem-imaginary-conversations