Lights, cameras, action

I’ve spent some time over the past few weeks designing a light collar accessory for a runway project.

This posed more than a few technical challenges. Firstly, the lights had to be non-heat to keep the model safe. That was the easiest problem to solve. There are so many wonderful fairy and seed lights available now. Then the collar had to be quick and easy to get on and off, but also very secure when worn, which meant that choosing the right fasteners was important. Finally, the battery pack for the lights had to be safely concealed somewhere in the structure so it couldn’t be seen and would stay exactly where I wanted it throughout. Plus it had to be set up so the battery pack could be easily accessed when the batteries need recharging. The actual design of the light collar was the easy part!

I started with some basic draping to test proof of concept.

I made an undercollar with interfaced cotton and stitched the fairy lights on with silver necklet cord. Some draped royal blue tulle softened the end look, adding some romance and mystique.

It took a bit of tweaking, but the collar does what I wanted it to, and I think the lights are very cool. They remind me of Scandinavia. A few years ago, I visited Sweden in the middle of winter. There were candles everywhere - on every table in every cafe, in every shop, it didn’t matter what time of day you went in, the candles were there. This collar captures that feel, the sense of soft, romantic light dispelling everything that is cold and dark. And, of course, the model is exquisite.