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Valentino presents a collection dedicated to Shanghai. Photo provided to China Daily

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"We wanted to do something very special," Stefano Sassi, CEO of the fashion house, says at a news conference prior to the show. "We all worked very hard to present something new for Shanghai."

At the red-themed show that took place on the Bund with the city's magnificent skyline as a backdrop, the brand's creative duo, Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli, created a special collection with 81 looks for the "Oriental Paris". They called it the Shanghai Collection.

"It's not a Chinese collection, but a special collection about the special moment, but still very close to our identity," Chiuri says, adding the show caters to the global audience.

The elegant, feathery pieces shown on the runway remain out of reach for everyone except for the rich and the famous. But that doesn't prevent the young and trendy from coveting the exclusive collection.

"To see something made from a piece of leather or cloth exclusively for you is interesting and special," says Gao Jun, who attended the alumni reunion event.

Gao didn't make a purchase at the "shoe-tailoring experience" event that day, but she says it's good to know there is an alternative other than what shopping malls can offer.