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The Arts Intel Report

Imaginary Conversations: An Erdem Collection Inspired by Duchess Deborah

June 22 – Oct 20, 2024
Bakewell DE45 1PP, United Kingdom

Laura Cavendish, the Countess of Burlington, has commissioned a new exhibition designed and curated by the British-Turkish fashion designer Erdem Moralioglu and inspired by Deborah, the late dowager duchess. It will feature looks from Erdem’s current collection, which includes prints drawn from Deborah’s wardrobe and the Chatsworth archives, along with historic prints and drawings, textiles, jewelry, and photographs. “Erdem and I have been friends since he started his label and I was a young fashion buyer,” says Burlington. “He was in his element with [Deborah]: chicken shoes, chintz, Elvis jackets, bug jewels—it’s all there, a glorious outpouring of ideas.” Chatsworth, where the show takes place, has long proved a vital backdrop for contemporary design. Considered to be one of the most important private art collections in Europe, the estate’s treasures span 4,000 years, from ancient Egypt to old masters to Thomas Gainsborough, John Singer Sargent, Lucian Freud, and Damien Hirst. —Fiona McCarthy