Chatsworth announces 'House Style: Five Centuries of Fashion at Chatsworth'
November 15, 2016: In spring 2017, Chatsworth will present its most ambitious exhibition to date exploring the history of fashion and adornment: ‘House Style: Five Centuries of Fashion at Chatsworth’. Hamish Bowles, International Editor-at-Large at American Vogue, will curate this show with creative direction and design by Patrick Kinmonth and Antonio Monfreda. House Style will give unprecedented insight into the depth of the Devonshire Collection and the lives of renowned style icons from Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire to Stella Tennant.
The exhibition will bring to life the captivating individuals from the Cavendish family, including Bess of Hardwick, one of the most powerful women of the 16th century; the 18th century “Empress of Fashion” Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire; and Adele Astaire, the sister and dance partner of Fred Astaire. Deborah Devonshire and Nancy Mitford, two of the Mitford sisters; model Stella Tennant and John F Kennedy’s sister ‘Kick’ Kennedy will also be central to the show.
House Style will be woven throughout one of Britain’s finest stately homes, including the largest and grandest room of the Baroque house, the Painted Hall; the Chapel and the lavishly decorated State Music Room. Layering art history, fashion, jewellery, archival material, design and textiles, the exhibition will be organised by theme, including Coronation Dress; The Devonshire House Ball; Bess of Hardwick and the Tudor influence; The Georgiana Effect; Ducal Style; Country Living; The Circle of Life; and Entertaining at Chatsworth.
Highlights of the exhibition will include couture designed by Jean Phillipe Worth and Christian Dior, together with influential garments from designers such as Gucci, Helmut Lang, Margiela, Erdem, Alexander McQueen, Christopher Kane and Vetements. The show will also feature personal family collections, including items belonging to the current Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, such as a Givenchy bolero worn on the Duchess’ wedding day. These pieces will be displayed alongside livery, uniforms, coronation robes and fancy-dress costumes, demonstrating the varying breadth of fashion and adornment from the Collection throughout the generations.
To coincide with the exhibition, Rizzoli will publish House Style: Five Centuries of Fashion at Chatsworth, with a foreword by the Duke of Devonshire; an introduction by the Countess of Burlington; edited by Hamish Bowles; and essays and texts by Hamish Bowles, Kimberley Chrisman-Campbell, Charlotte Mosley, Sarah Mower, Diana Scarisbrick, and Lady Sophia Topley. This book will be a 200-page survey of fashion at Chatsworth featuring photographs by Cecil Beaton, Bruce Weber, Steven Meisel, Tim Walker, Mario Testino, Ellen von Unwerth, and many previously unseen pictures from the Devonshire personal photograph albums.
The exhibition runs from 25 March to 22 October 2017, and is included in the price of entry to Chatsworth House.
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