Sew What? Inc. Sets The Stage With Massive Rod Stewart Family Tartan
Rancho Dominguez, CA - When audiences come to see Rod Steward's new 2007 tour, they'll be met by a 360-degree stage completely enclosed by 160 linear feet of the Stewart Family tartan.
This dramatic staging element, conceived by legendary set designer Ian Knight, whose concert credits run from Madonna to Led Zeppelin, was the creation of innovative theatrical drape manufacturer Sew What? Inc.
The challenge was to translate a 2" x 2" pattern into 1,500 yards of stage curtain. The curtains would integrate into an aluminum structure, dramatically blending modern and traditional elements.
"We experimented with a number of fabrication techniques," said Sew What? president Megan Duckett. "We considered digital printing and custom painting, but they didn't produce the results we were after. With Rod Stewart as the talent and Ian as the designer, this had to be nothing less than spectacular!"
The Sew What? team settled on custom-milling the entire fabric and printing the massive fabric with four 60" ink drums. Once the ink was dry, the material was sent through a separate flame-retardancy process in preparation for sewing.
During Stewart's rehearsals at the Los Angeles Forum in December, the Sew What? crew completed the construction and rigging of the curtain to assure ease of set-up, use, break-down and transport.
The entire process from start to finish took nearly ten weeks.
"There is no such thing as hunting through a catalog when you do something like this," added Ms. Duckett. "It's really quite a challenging R& D project. But we did what we needed to do to make the drapes absolutely amazing."
The Rod Steward concert opens in Sunrise, Florida in mid-January 2007 and tours the country through May.
Sew What? Inc., located in Rancho Dominguez, CA, is well-known for its dramatic theatrical drapes and fabrics used in major rock concerts, top fashion shows and other artistic staged venues. It was recently awarded the Dell/NFIB Small Business Excellence Award as well as PC Magazine's SMB 20 Award for technological innovation for small and medium-sized businesses. For information, contact Sew What, Inc. at (310) 639-6000, or inquiries@sewwhatinc.com.
