A sunken fashion ramp created a striking effect at the annual Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Joburg presented by African Fashion International and held at Melrose Arch in October/November 2014. Dream Sets supplied the technical and built the set, a seamless platform from which cutting edge South African designers could show off their latest creations.
While stress levels are up on an event like this – there are 12 different shows with each stylists wanting their own look – it’s old hat for Mauritz Jacobs from Dream Sets. With a desire to please, his calming nature has kept him working with longstanding clients in fashion for the past 20 years, often as lighting designer and in this case, as project manager.
Precision is essential and Jacobs strives for a simple, clean look. He used 96 Philips SPX Profiles and 12 Robe Robin 800 LED Wash Units.
The Philips SPX Profiles deliver more light for the stage, which allows one to consider energy saving options such as the use of a lower wattage lamp or the use of lower dimmer levels. The combination of this optical reflector design with quality optical lenses provides a crisp white light with no pinkish hues or other colour cast.
The Robin 800 LEDWash has an incredible wide zoom range starting at 8 degrees and going up to 63 degrees. Enhanced features include quiet zoom operation, beam/wash zoom mode, virtual colour wheel with calibrated whites and RGBW/CMY colour mixing.
Gary Sam was commissioned to operate the lighting, and he worked on the grandMA2 full size, MA Lighting’s most powerful console. “While I managed everything, Gary came on board as the lighting designer and did a fabulous job,” commented Jacobs.
“There was such good feedback from the clients,” he adds. “It was a good show and the set complimented the event. It really was different.”
Fashion fitted well in the marquee and the audience were captivated by the colour and vivacity Africa’s most talented designers have become known for.
