Lipscombe specialised in retail and worked for many of Britain’s top retailers, including Harrods, Victoria’s Secret, Burberry, Nike, Vodaphone and Tesco. His international clients included Disney and Reiss, airlines Gulf Air and Air China on their first and premium lounges, and for Sheraton and Dorchester Collection Groups in the hospitality sector.
He had worked for Into Lighting before setting up his own practice, Light Tecnica, in 2005. He then started office of [light] in 2011, which again specialised in retail lighting and interactive technology, and was exploring the subject further in a collaboration called Office of Visual Perception (see Light & Tech, page 98, for an insight on his thoughts on the future of retail, and a tribute by his partner in the venture, Andy Bonehill of PAI Group.)
The lighting consultant for the Channel Four TV series on shopping psychology Shop Till You Drop and the BBC series Mary Queen of Shops, Russell Lipscombe had trained in design and architecture and first worked as a lighting engineer with architectural lighting manufacturer Erco.
His brother Tim told FX: ‘Russell was very aware of the space and the environment we live in and how first impressions affected people’s responses and emotions. Within the design lighting industry he was able to make people feel welcome and lift their mood. That was something he also did in his personal life.
‘I worked in the lighting industry (at Erco) for some time, and I can appreciate first-hand Russell’s abilities and how much he was respected professionally and personally. He has left this world a little less bright.’
