Deep Time, High Jewelry Collection, Live Show

Louis Vuitton latest High Jewellery Collection unveiled at the Odeon of Herodus Atticus in Athens was conceived, directed, choreographed by Dimitris Papaioannou. The major challenge of this lighting project was that the stage and audience area were reversed.

The show started with a musical performance of the violinist Renaud Capuçon. Afterwards, 28 male performers descended the marble seats of the amphitheater till they met with the models at the orchestra level, wearing the jewels. The performance utilised the stage for the seating of the guests/spectators and the catwalk took place on the stage circulating among the guests. The performance concluded with the birth of Aphrodite from a gigantic Nautilus shell that revealed on the stage. With the appearance of Aphrodite, the male performers gathered around her, dressing her with shell parts.

The lighting for the jewellery was a custom fixture worn by the performers that was specifically made for this event. A customized ring light was designed to fit comfortably on the performer’s face attached on masks designed for each performer. The ring light was emitting accurate, soft and diffused light combed with three miniature spots on top, in 3 different temperatures of white, accentuated the jewellery’s brilliance without creating harsh shadows or glare to the guests. Moreover, the ring light was wireless, battery operated and fully controllable by the lighting console through a custom made system with miniature antennas on the costumes of the performers.

For the rest of the performance there was a dynamic lighting setup, including powerful moving head spotlights, highlighting the architecture and the marble texture of the theater creating a unique scenery because of the reversal of stage and amphitheater seats. Soft ambient lighting used throughout the performance space enhancing the atmosphere. For the last scene where Aphrodite revealed from inside the luminous shell, all lighting was concentrated on her with a strobe effect from only the masks’ spot lights. At the end, as she transformed to a jewel herself she reflected fragments of light all over the marble amphitheater creating an underwater reflections’ magical scene.