Tag Archive: Catwalk Lighting

1. White Light Joins Ben Sherman On the Catwalk

   16 January 2018 12:00 Comments Off on White Light Joins Ben Sherman On the Catwalk

   Last week saw the start of London Fashion Week Men’s Autumn/Winter 2018 Show. 2018 marks the 11^th season of the biannual celebration of British menswear and this year had more shows than ever before. One of these included the fashion label Ben Sherman who showcased their new Fall collection which was a collaboration with fashion designer Henry Holland. White Light provided the complete technical solutions for the showcase.

   The Ben Sherman showcase took place at Somerset House on 5^th January. WL was approached by JN Productions and the event was led by WL’s Creative Producer Richard Stirzaker. Richard comments: “We have worked at the London Fashion Week for over a decade now and know what is required for international launches such as this. The theme of the new collection was Northern Soul culture and a large part of our brief was providing technical support that reflected this”.

   WL had to transform the Somerset House Embankment Galleries into a space suitable for a catwalk. Not only that but the company had to accommodate the immersive elements of the evening. Richard comments: “Rather than just launch the new collection with a catwalk display, the client wanted to create an immersive experience; perpetuating the Northern Soul theme. This included dancers who opened the show along with a Northern Soul soundtrack that relayed throughout the space”.

   WL drew on its state-of-the-art audio inventory to provide sound reinforcement throughout. This was also used for the soundscape in the main space along with the Gallery downstairs. Richard explains: “When guests first arrived, they walked through the downstairs gallery where there were large image prints which reflected the brand identity and reinforced the theme of the collection. We also sourced the scenic elements along with the staging for the models as they entered the Raphael Gallery”.

   As with any fashion show, lighting played an extremely important role. Richard explains: “The lighting played several important roles for this showcase. Firstly, it had to serve a primary purpose of illuminating the space and ensuring that it would be suitable for a fashion launch. Secondly, we wanted to use the lighting to differentiate the various points of the evening; from the audience entrance to the dancers to the actual models themselves”.

   Alongside this WL also projected a video of the launch onto the interior of the Embankment Gallery.

   Richard adds: “What was great about the Ben Sherman showcase was that it was able to draw on everything we can offer as a company: lighting, audio, video and staging. We were able to work closely with a very high-profile client and deliver the exact technical solutions they required”.

   The Ben Sherman launch marks one of several shows that WL is working on at this year’s London Fashion Week.

   Photos courtesy of JN Production.

2. White Light Returns to London Fashion Week 2017

   5 October 2017 13:26 Comments Off on White Light Returns to London Fashion Week 2017

   London Fashion Week made a triumphant return to the capital last month. Taking place between 15 – 19^th September, London Fashion Week showcases the very best in British design with catwalk shows, presentations, designer showrooms and a range of bespoke events. The Week was held in prestigious venues all across London and WL was called upon once again to provide the technical support on a range of events.

   WL has worked on London Fashion Week for more than ten years now. This year was one of the busiest yet, featuring more than 100 designers including Giorgio Armani, who was holding a catwalk event for the first time in London for more than ten years.

   WL worked on a variety of events across the week; all of which were overseen by Senior Account Manager Dominic Yates. He comments: “London Fashion Week is always a fantastic event to work on, due to the fact that it is so high-profile and the entire fashion world is watching. Working closely with WL’s Head of Production Stuart Crane and Senior Project Manager Martin Strods, we wanted to ensure that we provided the very best support possible and that each showcase achieved its potential.

   Dominic adds: “We worked with a range of lighting designers on a variety of shows; each of whom had a very particular feel that they were trying to achieve. Our role was to offer the equipment and technical advice both in the pre-rig stages and during the show’s themselves”.

   Some of the events that WL worked on included Joseph at Bloomsbury B1. The show was produced by OBO with a lighting design by Alexandre Lebrun. Alexandre drew on a large range of generic fixtures to achieve his design, including Selecon Fresnels and ETC Source 4 Profiles and Pars.

   Another includes the Simone Rocha showcase which took place at the historic Middle Temple Hall, where WL is an approved technical supplier. The iconic fashion label presented its new collection in a showcase produced by Karlo Otto and featuring a lighting design by Tupac Matir. Dominic adds: “With the Simone Rocha showcase, we supplied a combination of GLP Impression X4 RGBW LED, GLP Impression X4 Bar 20s and ETC Source Fours. We also supplied the audio for this show drawing on our range of EM Acoustics loud speakers, and a Yamaha QL1 for control.”

   Other events that WL worked on throughout London Fashion Week include Natasha Zinko at Somerset House, Alistair James at Fitzrovia Chapel, Gucci at 180 The Strand, DAKS at The Langham and the COS Party at the National Gallery.

   Dominic adds: “This year’s London Fashion Week was extremely busy and saw us working in multiple venues across the capital; a lot of the time simultaneously. That said, our extensive equipment inventory and technical staff ensured that every event we worked on ran extremely smooth and we look forward to returning once again next year”.

   It’s been an exciting few months for WL’s Production team, with the appointment of Caz Caddick as Crew Co-ordinator, Martin Strods as Senior Project Manager and Harry Greenfield and Steve Burnham as Account Managers. The team has also appointed Rachel Condon as a dedicated Account Handler to manage the department’s internal kit logistics. WL’s Head of Production Stuart Crane comments: “We’ve added five highly-skilled and passionate individuals to our already established team. We want to ensure our clients continue to receive the very best service possible and the growth of our Production team will ensure that this happens on every single project”.

   Photos courtesy of Martin Strods.