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Erdem Moralıoğlu is one of the UK’s most admired and creative fashion designers. Born in Canada to a Turkish father and British mother, he studied fashion at the Royal College of Art and went on to found his eponymous label in 2005. He has dressed the Princess of Wales, Michelle Obama and Nicole Kidman.

His Spring Summer 2024 collection was inspired by the the late Dowager Duchess of Devonshire, also known as Debo, one of the famous Mitford sisters: the ‘It’ girls of the 1930s and 40s. The Duchess, along with her husband, Andrew Cavendish, the 11th Duke of Devonshire were instrumental in bringing to life Chatsworth House, an estate in Derbyshire that is one the UK’s greatest stately homes and a huge tourist attraction.

This collection was based on the clothes and archive of the Dowager Duchess. Working closely with Susie Stokoe, Head of Textiles at Chatsworth, Erdem has drawn on his own designs and many of the Duchess’ clothes and created an exhibition called Imaginary Conversations. The inspiration for this title was conceived because Erdem never met the late Duchess Debo and the result imagines a dialogue the two of them may have had about her clothes and objects that she loved.

Belinda Naylor goes to Erdem’s studio in East London to discuss the inspirations around this collection and visits Chatsworth House to observe the installation of the exhibition. Erdem also reveals the muse behind his Spring Summer 2025 collection, along with the importance of textiles, tailoring and his other inspirations from art and literature.

Producer: Belinda Naylor
Executive Producer: Andrea Kidd

(Photo: Erdem Moralıoğlu. Credit: Tom Mannion)