A Louis Vuitton fashion show in Paris is an event. The shows have transcended being a mere presentation of next season’s clothes to become a fashionable spectacle of decadence. Marc Jacobs once told me that one reason he keeps upping the ante on the show is because he knows that, since he shows on the last day of the collections, he has to ‘dazzle’ his audience. Well, dazzle was an understatement for this most recent one, which started when an actual train pulled into the Louvre with 48 models calmly composed in its seat. So sensational was that first train ride, Vuitton packed it up and brought it to Shanghai to fete their store opening here, and restaged that entire show. (As I mentioned here before, it’s all about trains right now.) I was only too happy to see that train again, not to mention the gilded, sparkled, bejeweled looks and the insanely decadent handbags and luggage, which were carried by porters behind the models. All in all, not a bad first trip to Shanghai, if I may say so myself.

The wondrous Clemence Poesy with Louis Vuitton’s wizard, the amazing Marc Jacobs

Shanghai’s skyline at night

Me with a few ladies on the post-show dance floor: Lana del Rey, who sang at the party; Alexa Chung; Poppy Delevingne; and Momma Makeup herself, Pat McGrath

Coco Brandolini

Superstar DJ Jeremy Healy on the decks at the afterparty. Apparently, the fashion party culture that is so alive and well in cities like London and Paris doesn’t exist in China, which is why Louis Vuitton made a conscious effort to keep it festive. They booked Lana, Jeremy and two other DJ’s. And umm, it worked.

Marc’s right hand woman: Love magazine’s Katie Grand

Team Louis Vuitton is a fun one: That’s their president, Yves Carcelle, hitting the dance floor with Julie de Libran. (Well, to be honest, they’re hitting the banquette. By that point, people were dancing on tables.)

Alexa and Pat enjoying the view from our club seating. The venue was right on the river in a temporary space. Which means, yes, Louis Vuitton built a train station, stage and nightclub for one night only in the center of Shanghai

Yves and the ladies! From left: Elizabeth von Guttman, Antonine Peduzzi, Luisa Orisini, Alexia Niedzielski and Coco Brandolini

A view from atop the grand staircase at the new Vuitton store

Alexa and I having a salute in the lobby of the Park Hyatt

Poppy Delevingne and her handsome better half James Cook

Huo Siyan, who is an actress in China and very, very polite

The Louis Vuitton train pulls into the station, which, like it did earlier this year in Paris, got a round of applause from the audience

Alexa on the train after the show. Every single detail and every single meticulous feature was carefully recreated as if it were an actual train. Simply amazing. (Well done, Faye McLeod!)

The master of millinery, Stephen Jones, who was responsible for the fabulous hats at the show

Poppy and I in a novelty shop where we found but did not buy the coolest sunglasses ever. It may be our biggest regret in life

Louis had some serious wheels. The six of us met with a Chinese medical doctor that Vuitton had organized, and I had my first acupuncture experience. The verdict is still out on that one. I really wanted to like it, but the entire time I was laying down all I could think about was how ridiculous it looks to have all these needles stuck in my flesh. He also told me I had lots of toxins in my body, and I needed to stress less and sleep more. So, essentially, I flew all the way to Shanghai to hear the same thing my mom tells me every day back home

Alexa wondering a local market. I was skeptical about venturing into the markets because, well, I don’t particularly like getting shoved around stinky places. But this one was quaint and cute, and had good stuff.

And finally, the man himself: Marc Jacobs, having a giggle on his train after the show. It’s hard to believe that in less than two months, it’s show season again and Marc will wow us again.