We’re always warning customers that sideglow lighting effects can easily be eclipsed by other bright lights, particularly indoors. However, they really come into their own outside at night, as this photo from professional costume designers and manufacturers Vortex Creates demonstrates.

The “snowflake” costumes were commissioned for a winter festival in Stoke-on-Trent, and Vortex Creates approached Starscape to discuss the use of optical fibres to add drama to the elements of the costumes.

After experimenting with some samples which we sent them, the costume specialists opted to use four different fibre sizes/types to produce different effects. 3mm solid core light guide was used to create good linear lighting effects, with 3mm sparkle fibre performing a similar role, but with the addition of the pin-pricks of light along the length of the fibre.

For end glow effects a mixture of 0.75mm and 1.5mm end glow fibre was used. The company put together its own custom battery-powered LED light sources to illuminate the fibres.

For more photos see Vortex Creates’ own website http://www.vortex-creates.co.uk/creates_details.asp?id=26.