LONDON – The London Fashion Week 2010 Designer Exhibition, organized by the British Fashion Council, filled four floors of Somerset House with the creative output from more than 200 designers. Event production company Blonstein & Associates turned to Point Source Productions and Fine Art Lighting for lighting gear and design. The goal was to turn the five main areas of Somerset House into adaptable spaces to set a mood and show the latest fashions from established names such as Erickson Beamon, Angel Jackson and Beatrix Ong to emerging talents like LF Markey and Georgia Hardinge.
Point Source Productions and Fine Art Lighting had previously collaborated on another event, an installation for All Visual Arts at One Marylebone, London, according to Fine Art Lighting's Rupert Barth von Wehrenalp.
"Blonstein & Associates were impressed by the lighting we had provided and asked us to participate in London Fashion Week as a result," he said. Von Wehrenalp once again sought out Point Source Productions for the gear that would transform five main areas of Somerset House into adaptable spaces for the Designer Exhibition.
The East Wing housed the NewGen area, sponsored by Topshop, a launchpad for new British talent, past alumni of which has included Alexander McQueen and Julien Macdonald, and Headonism for millinery.
The Embankment Galleries are divided into two areas. The lower basement showcased the Made By Scandanavians collective and the Creative Arts Project. The Mid Basement housed the Monsoon-sponsored estethica, a collective of 28 designers with an emphasis on ethical fashion, plus showrooms for Robinson Pfeffer and Six London.
The Navy Boardrooms, located on the first floor of Somerset House, hosted the Lingerie Boudoir, a collective of over 20 brands. The Terrace Rooms housed a mélange of established designers and newly-launched accessories lines.
London Fashion Week's first dedicated Digital Space also opened this season showing a selection of digitally-presented fashion films. It was housed in Somerset House's Embankment Galleries, adjacent to the main exhibition entrance.
"Because of the large number of exhibitors and variety of exhibits – which included jewelry, shoes and other accessories in addition to designer clothing – we needed to design and supply a package that was multi-functional," noted Stephen Capel, managing director of Point Source Productions.
"We provided each of the 200 exhibitors with a number of Fresnels and birdies to give a good general lighting cover within each space and create ambient lighting in keeping with the designer looks within. We also factored in an allowance which gave us the ability to pick out key pieces within each collection.
"After our initial setup, we then spent two days working with each exhibitor on an individual basis, tailoring the lighting so that it would show their work to the best advantage."
Point Source Productions and Fine Art Lighting also collaborated on a lighting redesign for London Fashion Weekend. The fashion and shopping event opens the doors to the public with a new set of exhibitors, including DKNY Jeans, PPQ, Luella, Juicy Couture and Sass & Bide, replacing those who had been in residence for the Exhibition. Point Source Productions relit all the existing exhibition spaces and helped turn the Portico Rooms into additional exhibition space for the four-day event.
Point Source Production's affiliate, Alvin Key Clamps, also provided over 14 tonnes of clothes rails and shelving units for the East Wing and Embankment Galleries.
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