World-renowned fashion designer Henry Holland has used graphics printed on an Océ Arizona UV Flatbed printer together with a giant angled mirror for his London Fashion Week catwalk show. The technique, a fashion first, created the illusion that models at the show were walking on clouds.
To set the scene for the show, the catwalk was created in a multi-storey car park in Brewer Street, London, an urban, concrete, but spacious, environment. Holland’s objective was for the audience to soak up the gritty car park atmosphere before being dazzled by his sophisticated, but hard-edged, clothing line.
It is believed to be the first time that such an innovative project using wide-format print and mirrors has been used at a fashion show.
Holland said, “This project has really opened my eyes to the capabilities of wide-format printing. It’s hugely exciting to be able to construct eye-catching, impactful, temporary spaces and environments using a printer like the Arizona.”
“Designers spend so much time and money creating their clothing lines, but it’s the imagery from the catwalk show that speaks to people in the fashion world and will be shown again and again throughout the season.”
Holland worked with Canon and London-based, wide-format printing company Displayways to bring his concept for the show to life.
He explained, “I met with Canon and Displayways to discuss the concept for the catwalk show and they talked me through the different possibilities, including the Arizona and the substrates that we would work with. Our aim was to create an aura effect around the models.”
Displayways has produced wide-format graphics for other high profile exhibitions and shows, including the Barbican commissioned Dalston House exhibition in Hackney.
Keith Birch, Displayways Account Director, said, “Our Arizona XT printer is ideal for projects like Henry’s. The print definition is very fine and it has excellent colour saturation and vibrancy. It’s also incredibly productive, which is essential for this project, as it required 180sqm of vinyl to be printed just for the catwalk.”
Duncan Smith, Wide Format Group Director for Canon UK, said, “Henry’s use of an Arizona-printed catwalk at London Fashion Week is a fantastic example of why the sky really is the limit for designers and other creative professionals when producing wide-format graphics on an Arizona Series printer.”
Canon’s Océ Arizona XT models can print onto any rigid media up to 2500mm (98") wide x 3050mm (120") long, and up to 48mm (1.9”) thick, opening up a whole world of possibilities for those working in exhibitions or the creative industries. The large format flatbed printers feature Océ VariaDot® imaging technology that delivers near-photographic image quality, even at high print speeds, and all models offer white ink printing capabilities.
Holland added, “This is the first time I have worked with a printed catwalk, but it definitely won’t be the last. The quality of the print was exactly as promised –outstanding. The colours came out brilliantly, and the graphics produced on the Arizona were an essential element in achieving the overall impact we had envisaged for the show.”
