Entertainment for all to enjoy
The tall towers of Macau's luxury casinos shimmer in the sunlight and their bright lights sparkle across the Pearl River Delta at dusk. Packed with millions of visitors from the mainland and all over the world, the teeming, compact little city of 558,100 people constantly reaffirms its role as the gaming, motor racing and pleasure-seeking centre of Asia - the 'Las Vegas of the East'.
Yet, there is more to Macau than the rattle of roulette wheels or the rev of next month's Grand Prix. The city was part of the Qin empire (221-206 BC) and, in the 16th century, became China's original trading link with the seafaring, colonial Portuguese and the rest of the world. Stroll past the pastel stucco churches and colonial buildings along Macau's World Heritage Trail and you will see at virtually every turn why much of the old city is a Unesco World Heritage Site, where East has met West for more than 400 years.
Macau fuses more than cultures and cuisines, however. The brash, vibrant city has also become a convenient cross-border shopping haunt for millions of free-spending mainland tourists who are eager to learn more about international fashion labels.
So, the three-day fashion extravaganza, City of Dreams' Glam Slam 2011, adds another layer of interest and glamour to Macau's myriad attractions and illustrates the increasing diversification of the city's tourist attractions and industries, as encouraged by Macau Chief Executive Fernando Chui Sai-on. Held from October 13 to 15, as part of the Macau Shopping Festival, the City of Dreams' Glam Slam 2011 is the largest Asian haute couture fashion show held in the city. It features collections from seven of Asia's top fashion designers in three runway shows in the Grand Ballroom of the Grand Hyatt Macau.
Leading the line-up is William Tang, who is fondly known as the 'Bad Boy' of Hong Kong fashion, and is responsible for designing the award-winning uniforms for Dragonair, MTR and the Bank of China. Vivian Luk will also draw the catwalk's spotlight. She has dressed some of Hollywood's top actresses, including Oscar nominees, and is now trying to recreate the same unique style for her Asian clients.
Visitors will also get to see designs by Qi Gang, who was voted one of China's top 10 fashion designers by various mainland media outlets. His bold use of colours and draping techniques highlight a woman's natural charm and elegance, and will be another high spot of the fashion extravaganza.
Malaysian designer Lee Khoon Hooi has built such a formidable reputation for creating high 'luxury with an edge' that his labels are now available in the United States, and in niche boutiques in the Middle East, Egypt, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia.
Taiwan's Jasper Huang, on the other hand, is as much an artist as a fashion designer, and has been honoured in competitions by Ferragamo, Elle magazine and the International Apparel Federation.
Singapore's Francis Cheong has been praised by everyone in the industry, from the fashion elite to regional celebrities and, at City of Dreams' Glam Slam 2011, he will showcase his approach to couture using a combination of immaculate French embroidery with extravagant Italian fabrics.
Completing the cavalcade of stars is Hong Kong-based Barney Cheng, who is known for his flawless tailoring and carefully executed designs, and was selected as one of the top 25 Most Influential Chinese in Global Fashion by Forbes China last year. His talent for simple extravagance - and extravagant simplicity - has won him fans from every strata of society - from high society to international movie stars and political VIPs to the White House. At City of Dreams' Glam Slam 2011, he will feature creations that reflect his labels which are now available the US, Britain, Japan, Middle East and Hong Kong.
Macau's popularity as a destination continues to grow with exciting attractions such as the City of Dreams' House of Dancing Water.
Now in its second year, the spectacular show has staged over 380 performances to more than 700,000 spectators.
Food is an alluring attraction for visitors to Macau. In the past few yeas, the number of dining options has exploded with creative culinary dishes prepared by some of the world's top chefs.
Their ability to source top ingredients from all over the world has raised the culinary bar in the region.
The city also lures meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions visitors.
According to the Macau Statistics and Census Service, latest visitor arrivals for August set a new record by of nearly reaching the 2.7 million mark, up 14.4 per cent year-on-year. During the first eight months of this year, total visitor arrivals exceeded 18.4 million, an increase of 10.4 per cent, year-on-year.
According to the 'Dipped in Gold: Luxury lifestyles in China and Hong Kong' report, compiled by independent brokerage and investment group CLSA, China will be the world's biggest luxury goods market by 2020.
The report says that over the next decade, Chinese consumers, including a surging number of billionaires, will account for 44 per cent of global spending on goods such as bags, shoes and high-end fashion.
18.4m
The total number of visitor arrivals in Macau during the first eight months of this year
