Fashion Show production

As fashion week hits Paris and draws near to close for A/W11, amongst all the throb and critique of designers’ collections, it’s easy to overlook just how much work goes into the show production itself. And also what a lasting imprint a show spectacle

can make.

Remember Fendi showing at the Great Wall of China in 2007? Diane Von Furstenberg’s Studio 54 revolving-esque mirrors, or Karl Lagerfeld’s 75ft reproduction of the iconic Chanel tweed jacket for S/S 2008? The answer is without doubt a ‘yes.’

So FashionUnited took a pick at some of the best UK based producers working tirelessly behind the scenes to come up with something quite literally show stopping.

Gainsbury and Whiting, London based, offers clients, agencies and photographers ideas from concept development through to execution. Having produced shows for Stella McCartney, Richard Nicoll, Marios Schwab and Christopher Kane, they can help with anything from prop hire, budgeting, casting, styling, set building, lighting, sound and special effects and perhaps most notably have been behind the theatrical like performances of the late Alexander Mcqueen’s shows for the past six seasons.

Inca productions in London, have put together the British Fashion Awards as well as shows for the likes of Aquascutum and music for Haiti charity, Fashion For Relief. Judith Pearson, event producer, concludes no two days are ever the same at Inca, ‘I’ve pretended to be a model on a catwalk to time how long each look takes, been in a photographers pit during a show to cue the visuals being shown on a screen either side of the catwalk entrance, to loading production equipment.’

Doll is a London based creative agency, whose flagship event is the growing On/Off event – shows and exhibitions - for young designers at fashion week. From show calling, model choreography, video production, Doll is a one-stop-shop for a really creative, visual feast. Clients include Selfridges, Jasper Conran, and Clothes Show live.

And Obo LLC is an international events production company with offices in London and New York. It was created to serve clients in the luxury sector who prefer to single source global event coordination, concept and production. Obo have produced some of the most directional fashion shows on the calendar; Y3, Boss Black, Moncler.

Image: Marios Schwab S/S 11