Staging a series of innovative interventions Gray helped showcase incredible collections from leading designers including Anja Hindmarch, Julien Macdonald, Marchesa, Roksanda and Whistles, as well as lighting the main British Fashion Council (BFC) Showspace at Somerset House.I wanted to take a completely different approach, he explained, It's very easy to play safe for these shows, but there is no reason why the lighting can't embrace the same sense of adventure as some of the designers. Being experimental adds another layer of excitement . Given that the shows have to be lit for perfect photography and video he didn't make it easy for himself!
As soon as his initial client meetings started about four months ahead of the LFW SS15 event, Gray started looking at new and different products that he could use and talked to all his regular lighting suppliers including Neg Earth, Panalux and White Light.
He also considered each venue carefully and very specifically, thinking about what type of lightsources would look good in the surroundings as well as the practicalities of rigging, and how he could achieve the all-important task of photo and film friendly lighting.
Simultaneously he discussed his proposed individual concepts with the different design teams.
Anya Hindmarch
Produced by Inca, the show was staged in Ambika P3, 14,000 square feet of contemporary art and found gallery space developed from a vast concrete constructed hall at the University of Westminster. For this show, the space was reduced by the floor being raised to the level of the first balcony.
The challenges for lighting were limited rigging points and power. Guests were seated on six revolving platforms which shifted throughout the show, changing the shape and configuration of the runway from a straight line to two sets of squares to a zig-zag, all of which had to be lit for the photographers.
With all these parameters in place, the only option for Gray to cover everything was to use a large moving light rig. He chose Martin MAC Viper Wash DXs 45 of which were rigged onto three overhead trusses running the length of the room.
Using moving lights also gave him plenty of additional options to add to the fun and vibrancy of Hindmarch's own distinctive aesthetic.
All the Vipers were fitted with UV filters, and for one section of the show the lighting switched from the conventional white-light fashion show vibe to dark moody blues, featuring models and dancers in boiler suits with glowing skeleton outfits clutching Hindmarch's UV quirky and hip sticker hand and tote bags which had also been UV treated.
For specials, Gray added 14 x Vari*Lite V*L3500 profiles to the lighting rig.
Both the back wall and the floor were clad with a stretched fabric print, and more kinetic frivolity was added with 18 x 10 metre runs of digital festoon, run on funky colour chases.
Renegade's Project Manager for this show was Dave Ambrose, Dan Hill was the Lighting Operator using a Road Hog Full Boar with all equipment supplied by Neg Earth together with their Crew Chief, Stumpy.
Marchesa
With the glamour of flouncing silks and billowing chiffons, the beauty of this show was sumptuously modern classic' for which the Banqueting House in Whitehall provided a perfect backdrop.
Designed by Inigo Jones, the venue was completed in 1622 and is the only remaining component of the Palace of Whitehall as well as the first building in England to feature the neo classical style that transformed the architecture of the day. Its colourful history included the execution of King Charles I of England in front of it in January 1649.
This time, the only spectacle on show was the fabulousness of fashion, with three runways traversing the space and the main challenges of lighting being low over-hanging balconies above the two outer runways ... making the positioning of fixtures tricky but absolutely crucial.
copyrighted by Kensington Laverne Gray utilized 30 x Panalux HiLos - a low profile softlight source that utilizes a multi-white mix of LEDs and is designed and built by Panalux as part of a range of low energy creative lighting solutions for film and TV. It produces a soft, diffused uniform output with a single shadow that is ideal for this type of installation. Its 70 cm opaque white front is very distinctive and attractive in its own right, and the colour temperature can be precisely tuned.
Twenty-six HiLos were top rigged around three sides of the balcony, with six at one end and another four spaced out along the walls of the room on custom built scaffolding frames. It was also essential than none of the rigging or lighting support structures were visible or encroaching on the integrity of the room.
I really liked the contrast of these very modern lightsources almost being levitated in this grandiose neoclassical space, explains Gray adding, It worked really well both in terms of creating an aura, and achieving all the right levels and quality of light for the media .
A drape line dissected one end of the room and on top of that another four HiLos were rigged at floor level to provide uniform back-lighting for all three runways. The front array at the other end rigged on drop arms off the trusses - comprised 24 variable zoom ETC Source Four profiles, all daylight corrected to match the fixtures overhead.
The structural pillars of the room were tightly highlighted with 30 individual PAR cans fitted with ultra-narrow Raylite bulbs and reflectors cans on the floor & daylight 201 to match the show temperature.
Lighting and technical support was provided by White Light for this show, with the HiLos sourced directly by Renegade from Panalux.
The lighting operator was Paulus van Heijkant and the production company was again Inca.
Whistles
Gray was very excited when he heard from producers, My Beautiful Ci
