Starry night in Shanghai

International celebrities and the elite of the Hong Kong set jetted into Shanghai last week to mingle with local socialites and stars at the much-anticipated opening of the Louis Vuitton flagship store at Plaza 66.

Arriving at Nanjing West Road, in a fleet of Audi A6 and A8 limousines with the exclusive brand name emblazoned across them, the guests presented their invitations, which were clearly marked non-transferable.

Before the party started, Hong Kong models Eunis Chan Ka-yung and Sophie Rahman showed off next season's ready-to-wear collection. Louis Vuitton and LVMH Group chairman Yves Carcelle took part in the ribbon-cutting ceremony and was in great spirits.

The party's 'secret location' was actually a huge tent across the street from the store. Nobody seemed to mind making the 10-minute trek in their brand-new Louis Vuitton 10cm satin heels.

Three different areas were created within the 1,400 square metre marquee, which took almost three weeks to build inside the Shanghai Exhibition Centre. The Salle Rouge was a chill-out bar area with Chinese red lanterns, while the Bamboo Room had massive bamboo rods, a 12-metre-high copper-lined water feature and floating gauze clouds. But the main attraction was the Purple Room, where 1,650 Plexiglas Monogram panels with the Louis Vuitton name lined a wall and two giant copper pots served as eight-metre-high DJ booths.

British pop star Gareth Gates entertained guests with his first performance in Shanghai, while waiters served abalone canapes from the Ritz-Carlton hotel and more than 1,500 bottles of Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin champagne. Mainland celebrities attending included Guo Jingjing, Chen Daoming, Hu Bing, Qin Hailu, Jiang Qinqin, Li Bingbing, Li Xiaolu, Li Xiaoran, Ai Jing, Li Xia, Tao Hong and Wang Haizhen. Overseas celebrities included Taiwanese star Kelly Lin Xi-lei, singer Coco Lee and Korean actress Kim Nan-joo.