By Karl Treacy
Fashion Wire Daily Paris May 12, 2003 - He works with one of the most elusive and least appreciated elements -- light -- yet, through his enthusiasm and experimentation, has managed to turn himself into one of the world's most highly regarded names on the subject. For those who might sneer, Thierry Dreyfus is more than just a glorified electrician. In fact, a chat with the maestro of light soon turned off physics and turned on emotions.
While he may be one of the most important people that such designers as Hedi Slimane, Ennio Capasa, Martine Sitbon and Helmut Lang consult when planning their runway shows, French-born Dreyfus makes no bones about the fact that the moods and messages he creates with light are reflections of what's going on inside the designer's head and not just gratuitous technical trickery.
Having previously worked for theatre, Dreyfus first stumbled across fashion in 1985 when he did the lighting for a show of the late designer Patrick Kelly. Since that first taste, Dreyfus has never looked back and has lit shows for some of the most important designers of the past two decades.
In December 2001 he was given carte blanche to produce Yves Saint Laurent's retrospective farewell show in the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris. While the request came on late December, Dreyfus had barely a month to plan the event. Normally, Dreyfus says, his collaborations with designers and houses are planned a little further in advance. For example, when FWD called by his airy rue Etienne-Marcel offices, he was working on Hedi Slimane's plans for the Dior Homme show on June 30. All top secret, naturally.
