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October 10, 2009
Contact: Chris Sandberg (562) 799-1555
When audiences come to see R Kelly perform they will first see a dramatic re-creation of the original Moulin Rouge stage drape. Painstakingly reproduced by Sew What? Inc, this elaborately detailed drape is just one of the many unique stage drapery pieces available thru drape rental company Rent What? Inc.
This custom drapery element, made famous by the French cabaret of the same name, is the key component in a dramatic staging design for artist R Kelly. Robert Sylvester Kelly (born January 8, 1967) is an innovative and talented American R&B and soul singer-songwriter and record producer. Debuting in 1992 with the group Public Announcement, Kelly launched his stellar solo career in 1993.
The challenge was to recreate a classic drapery design with graphics, ribbons and trim for drapery into a tour friendly drapery scene that would survive the rigors of the road.
Dramatically blending modern technology and traditional elements made this a unique drapery piece. "We experimented with a number of fabrication techniques," said Sew What? President Megan Duckett. "We considered custom painting the decorative image elements, but we really wanted to work in a way that utilized our 120" Vutek printer.
We chose John Rios of Grafix Jam to re-create the art digitally as a vector file and ordered the best bullion trim money could buy - this had to be nothing less than spectacular!"
The Sew What? design team settled on printing directly to 60" wide 15oz. IFR crimson red velour. Direct printing onto colored textiles requires very difficult color profiling. In a unique process the printer first floods a layer of white pigment based ink before immediately laying the color corrected image onto the base.
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During rehearsals in Illinois, the client reported that the drape was "magical". Rent What? Inc. Founder Marce Forrester noted "Unique and specialty scenic elements are frequently overlooked in our business in lieu of the more manageable "mundane". We are delighted to represent magical and unusual products despite the added challenges that they present to a rental house. It is imperative that our specialty rental draperies are as memorable as our service."
"There is no such thing as hunting through a catalog when you do something like this," commented Megan Duckett of Sew What? Inc. - the company responsible for manufacturing this 1800 square foot drapery project for Rent What? Inc. "It was really quite a challenging R&D project, but we did what we needed to do to make the drapes absolutely amazing."
The R Kelly concert opens in Mashantucket, CT in early October 2009 and tours the country through the end of the year.
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 and recently launched the Sew What? Inc Weblog on the subject of drapery manufacturing for the theatre and concert industry. For information, contact Sew What? Inc. at (310) 639-6000, or visit www.sewwhatinc.com.
Committed to providing an ultimate experience in both drapery rental products and customer service, Rent What? Inc. is proud to be woman owned and operated. The firm, located in Rancho Dominguez, CA, is well-known for its basic pricing schedules, innovative damage waiver policy and fast and friendly service. For information, contact Rent What? Inc. at (310) 639-7000 or visit www.rentwhatinc.com. |
