Paint the Town Red

Lin Dan,

ips and special friends of Dolce & Gabbana travelled from around the region to Shanghai to celebrate the launch of Lin Dan, a book of photographs lensed by Domenico Dolce of the fashionable, off-court life of the 31-year-old badminton athlete, the winner of two Olympic gold medals. The festivities kicked off with a cocktail party followed by dinner for 300 invited guests and an after-party at the Shanghai Exhibition Centre. Constructed in 1955 and referencing Russian neoclassical architecture, the monumental building was certainly fitting for the grand affair.

The brand’s namesake designers arrived at the cocktail party to a bevy of warm greetings from friends and fans—it had been four years since Dolce and Stefano Gabbana visited China. All smiles, the pair mingled with guests and posed for photos until everyone took their seats for the meal. The dinner was hosted in an adjacent grand dining room with large prints from the book scaling the walls. The guests enjoyed a menu of traditional Sicilian fare, including homemade ravioli, roasted veal fillet and an almond cake soufflé to conclude the meal on a sweet note.

Revellers were then ushered to another dramatic space under the same roof for the after-party. Inspired by the Spanish influence on the label’s spring/summer 2015 collection, performers dressed as matadors and flamenco dancers took to the stage for a spectacular performance. Many of the guests, including the designers, Lin Dan and Naomi Campbell, danced well into the wee hours.