Staging a series of innovative interventions Gray helped showcase 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."
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.
Produced by Inca, the Anja Hindmarch show was staged in Ambika P3, 14,000sq.ft 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. For specials, Gray added 14 Vari*Lite VL3500 profiles to the lighting rig.
The Banqueting House in Whitehall provided the backdrop for Marchesa. Here, Gray utilized 30 Panalux HiLos. 26 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.
Whistles was staged in the new pedestrian tunnel linking St Pancras International mainline station and King's Cross St Pancras Underground stations to the new public spaces, restaurants, offices and homes at King's Cross, designed by architects Allies & Morrison.
The tunnel features an integrated LED light wall running its entire length which was designed by Spiers + Major.
(Jim Evans)
