Clay Paky Sharpys Beam Perfect Angles at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week

	Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Madrid with Clay Paky Sharpys. Photo: Geometrica Studio

Lighting designer Edu Valverde and Madrid, Spain-based AV group Geometrica Studio have created an urban-inspired lighting design using the beams of the Clay Paky Sharpy for a show celebrating Spanish jewelry brand ARISTOCRAZY at this year's Mercedes Benz Fashion Week (MBFW) Madrid.

Taking inspiration from '80s cult classic film Blade Runner, the design comprised of a clever mix of architectural, video mapped, and lighting elements that combined to create an urban set reminiscent of the gritty architecture featured in the science-fiction blockbuster.

"The lighting acted as the unifying core between the audience and the set," explains Valverde. "The idea was that with the long reach of the Sharpy beams the nocturnal, urban mood of the show would be extended out from the set and into the audience to create a really immersive atmosphere."

Valverde used 30 of the multi-award winning Clay Paky Sharpys, provided by Spanish rental company ASL Madrid. Stonex Show Lighting is the Clay Paky distributor for Spain.

The designer positioned the Sharpys in straight lines down either side of the catwalk entrance, highlighting the stark geometry of the door and also in further parallel lines down either side of the catwalk.

"The Sharpys were the perfect lighting fixture for the show," explains Valverde. "The Sharpys' small size meant they could easily be installed along the runway without interrupting sightlines or needing loads of space to maneuver. The sheer speed of the fixture meant that it could keep up with the fast tempo of the show. The Sharpys' output is exceptional, providing us with a powerful searchlight look -- and its parallel beam cut through the dark, creating great contrasting effects that really complemented the show."

Due to the quick turnaround of Fashion Week, Valverde and Geometrica found that they were faced with strict limitations in terms of installation time and needed fixtures that were simple to rig and program.

"The Sharpy is easy to install and responds fantastically to programming," continues Valverde. "For the ARISTOCRAZY show we set all the lighting and video cues to a MIDI timecode in order to keep the whole thing super sharp and tight with the music. We also had to be very mindful of constructing quite a complex set comprised of video mapping, architectural, and lighting elements all within a two-hour time frame."

The company says the Clay Paky Sharpy's versatility allows creativity to remain with the artist who is not presented with the same limitations that come with larger, slower or less powerful beam fixtures.

The next Mercedes Benz Fashion week took place at the end of June in Milan, Italy. Further Fashion Weeks will take place across the world until the end of October 2014. For more information please see http://mbfashionweek.com/. Video can be viewed at http://vimeo.com/90342955 or http://vimeo.com/95323529.

See Clay Paky and A.C.T Lighting at PLASA Focus: Orlando, February 17 - 18, 2015.