Fashion
  
When its all about looks Astral have the abiltiy to produce inventive yet practical catwalks, stages and sets as well as light your fashion show to highlight the key themes within your collection. From concept to creation Astral are on hand to add flair, glamour and class to your fashion show. Our experienced crew and designers have many years of experience in catwalk and fashion production, we are also experienced in fashion location and studio shoots. We have the stock and staff to execute a professional show at short notice, from a simple runway in a retail outlet with basic lighting to a full blown raised catwalk with full production, lighting and sound reinforcement. Astral has its roots in lighting and as a result we recognise the necessity for photographs of a catwalk event to be equally as good as those from a photo shoot to this end we always concentrate on getting the lighting right for the photographer and camera men and can work with your staff in order to ensure you get just the right shot.
Astral are not only skilled in creating catwalks and sets but also in emphasising the setting of your show or shoot. The example below is from an exhibition at The Collection in Kensington for which Astral provided background lighting and room dressing.
Astral Design Photo Shoots
 Astral Design has been workig with photographers for over 20 years and this knowledge and experience had been successfully transferred to the our Photoshoot work.  If you have a specific concept then Astral can work with thatn to create the image that you want. Our professional operators work with the photogrpaher and the designers to created the right shot, giving maximum impact to the collection.
These shots were part of a shoot arranged by UCCA Rochester at the St. Bartholomew's Hospital, Chatam that experimented
with light, projections and fogging techniques. Astral Design were on hand thorughout the shoot to proved expert advice and technical support to both the photographers and the designers.
Astral Design Catwalks
 Astral design has a long history of creating catwalks in unconventional venues and is able to creativley work to your specifications. Whether you require a small runway for an intimate atmosphere or a raised catwalk and full-scale production Astral is able to work with your concpet creating the perfect arena for the presentation fo the your collection. The raised catwalk featured is a 4ft high catwalk set used for the Asian Wedding Exhibtion at the NEC Birmingham for which Astral Design provided additional set and lighting as well as the catwalk staging. Of course the colour scheme of any of our catwalks can be adjusted to suit your concept. Astral Design has also created customised catwalks for specific shows including the white fur catwalk created for the Swiss Textiles show at the Swiss Embassy, London (below left). Astral's experienced designers and crew are able to work to any specifications you may have. 2006 say Astral Design create the most original catwalk at Graduate Fashion Week. The on-level runway was surrounded by lit panels that allowed the students of UCCA Rochester to show off both their collections and the design process that inspired them (below right). Working with the UCCA graduates Astral Design created a unique environment that emphasised the quality of the collection and of the design process.
 
Astral Design at London Fashion Week
In 2004 Astral provided full production services for the off-schedule catwalk show organised by Oliveira-Salac from Blow PR. Held at the Britannia Garages, the event showcased five emerging designers. Blow PR are the main organisers of off schedule catwalk shows and have been working alongside new talent for years. T he catwalk producer John Walford, worked with James Waudby, Astral Design's Creative Director, to ensure that the international press and buyers viewed the collections in an industrial location. The brief was design and produce a front stage runway with appropriate lighting on which to present to collections to the worlds media as well as create a backstage environment in which the models and stylists could work to create their new look.
"Astral proffesionally created and produced a show venue for our five designers at London Fashion Week. We were truly impressed with their technical know-how and their ability to exceed out expectations. They were friendly and easy to work with" Martin at Blow PR
John Wolford was "very pleased with the effects of the catwalk staging and praised the professionalism of the Astral team in creating areas for all the people involved backstage"
Astral Design and UCCA Rochester Fashion
As a local company Astral are keen to encourage talent in all areas of life. This includes actively sponsoring the MA Fashion students from the Universtiy College of the Creative Arts in Rochester.
Astral have been invovled with the UCCA (formerly KIAD) for many years and have created both catwalks and photoshoots scenes for the new designers. Creating the catwalk show for the the 2005 Desgree show provided Astral with the opportunity to create a lighting and staging concept that allowed many diverse designers to highlight their collections. The versatility of Astral's lighting allowed the UCCA atudents to present their work to members of the press and audience without any bias.
Working with leading catwalk producer Lee Lapthorne and Thomas Atkinson, Course Leader for BA(Hons) Fashion Design, Astral planned and created a contemporary setting for the show. The success of this event prompted the graduates to go it alone and present at an alternate venue for Graduate Fashion Week. Using the industrial setting of the old Truman Brewery on Brick Lane, London Astral Dsign provided full catwalk production services and the design incorporated televisions to view the collections around a central pillar. Astral also created hair and make-up areas, dressing areas and catwalk backdrops.
The show recieved outstanding reviews from governers, industrial representative and press on the quality and professionalism of the show.
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