Butterflies by Manolo Valdés
Now that the Fashion Weeks are over, it’s time to make way for the ‘art weeks’. There’s Frieze Art fair in London, FIAC in Paris, Art Basel in Miami, the Armory Show in New York, to name a few. Just like the fashion crew travels the world to attend Paris, London, New York and Milan, the art crowd does the same for these events. Earlier this week I went to the opening of Frieze Art Fair, which I will post on next, but before that, I’d like to share with you the trip I made up North to see Sotheby’s Beyond Limits sculpture park at Chatsworth House.

In my 7 years in the UK, I’m a little ashamed to say I’ve never really traveled around the country. I’m so comfy in my little London bubble, I find traveling outside Zone 2 quite a trek and very exotic these days. So, the Peak District was a revelation! The nature is beyond gorgeous, with Autumn creeping in, the estate was even more beautiful. Every year Sotheby’s displays some amazing contemporary outdoor sculptures around the beautifully maintained grounds of the house (where they filmed parts of Sense and Sensibility I’ve been told), which then later go on sale at auction.

Map in hand, me, my mum and my friend Antoinette went around the estate looking for all the works, which are scattered around the massive estate. Some are huge, some are easy to find, some are hidden, some are so well placed within the domain, they just seem to become part of the nature. There’s 24 sculptures to be found, just like a treasure hunt: you’ll find a Damien Hirst in a little garden, a Lynn Chadwick in a pond, a piece by Indian artist Subodh Gupta pouring out of one of the greenhouses, etc.

The 2 eyecatchers were of course the Yue Minjun Terracota Warriors all along the cascade, the beauty of which my pictures doesn’t really seem to capture and the giant head with butterflies by Manolo Valdés. These pieces interact with their environment so well it seems odd they haven’t always been there or haven’t been especially commissioned for the estate.

The actual house is also really worth a visit. It’s actually lived in by the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire and is just immaculately maintained. Although it is full of ancient history, beautifully painted ceilings, etc, the real beauty is how they have slowly integrated contemporary art within this old environment. With notes by the Duke on every piece, it feels personal and done with a lot of taste. Portraits by Lucian Freud and Michael Craig-Martin hang meters away from works by Rubens, for example.

There’s also a room for fashion lovers, full of couture gowns and pictures of the many fashion shoots that have been done at the estate, many of them featuring supermodel Stella Tennant, who is a granddaughter of the Duke of Devonshire. The gift shop features some carefully selected books and items, as well as many farm products made on the very grounds, and it’s very hard to leave without buying anything.

Definitely worth the trip! Take some wellies and go for a hike afterwards, and maybe you’ll run into a herd of deer like we did, or hundreds of sheep.

Sotheby’s Beyond Limits exhibition runs until Oct 31st only.

I’m wearing: Whistles Skater Skirt and striped top, Louis Vuitton Scarf, Ray Ban Sunglasses, vintage tassle loafers