Jewellery & Watch News
It goes without saying that we are incredibly excited for Chatsworth House's upcoming fashion exhibition. House Style: Five Centuries of Fashion promises to showcase the fashion trends of the Devonshire family history, displaying all manner of apparel from ballgowns and wedding dresses to jewellery and accessories.
Of course, 500 years worth of history is not to be without its slightly more unusual items, and we were surprised and amused by these fantastic jumpers once worn by the 11th Duke of Devonshire.
Sporting some of the Duke's favourite phrases, including "Never Marry a Mitford" and "All Passion Spent", these quirky knits are living proof that the Devonshire's weren't without a sense of humour! A selection of the 15 jumpers will be placed on display for visitors to the House Style exhibition.
Other unusual items expected to be making an appearance at the event, which takes place March 25th at Chatsworth House, include a 'rubber chicken handbag' owned by the 11th Duke's wife and a dog collar made from solid gold, worn by the 6th Duke's spaniel in the early 1800s.
Also making a welcomed appearance at House Style are several bespoke contributions made in our very own workshops here at C W Sellors. Our highly trained craftsmen and women have been using traditional as well as modern methods to recreate a lost headdress of ostrich feathers amethyst and Blue John. The stunning piece has been created from the use of one single picture (below), and will now serve as a piece of history for the Devonshire family.
Fashion Journalist Hamish Bowles, who is co-presenting the exhibition, said: “To be let loose in the wardrobe rooms, the gold vaults, the muniment room, and the closets, cupboards, and attics of Chatsworth, in search of sartorial treasures has been a dream come true for me.
"Chatsworth is a real treasure house and the characters of generations of Cavendish family members who have peopled its rooms and gardens and landscapes is revealed as vividly through their choice of clothing and adornments, as through the canvases and lenses of the great artists and photographers who have memorialised them through the centuries."
"In House Style, we hope to bring these compelling and fascinating people and the very different worlds they inhabited to life, through the clothes and the jewels that they wore.”
The exhibition runs from 25 March to 22 October 2017, and is included in the price of entry to Chatsworth House. For full details of ticket types and to book, please visit: www.chatsworth.org/book-tickets-and-prices
