QINHUANGDAO, CHINA — For its men’s spin-off show in China, Louis Vuitton transformed Aranya, a seaside resort town in Northern China, right into a larger-than-life playground.

The spectacle, livestreamed on eight platforms, including Weibo, Douyin, Kuaishou and for the primary time on Dewu, China’s own StockX, attracted greater than 278 million viewers online.

Constructing on the “magnified playground” concept introduced in the course of the brand’s Paris men’s show last June, Louis Vuitton swapped a magnified toy racetrack with a blown-up sand scape that took greater than two weeks to construct.

Louis Vuitton became the primary luxury brand to host a fashion show at Aranya. Valentino will follow suit, taking on Aranya with art installations and a pop-up store to have a good time its Pink PP collection next week.

With strict COVID-19-related screening rules and frequent mass-testing requirements, arriving at Aranya was a feat in itself. The show was closely inspected by local authorities up until minutes before it began. But as Chinese celebrities, corresponding to newly-minted brand ambassador Yilong Zhu, brand ambassadors Jun Gong and Chen Jin, actor Kun Chen, and TNT‘s Yaowen Liu got seated within the front row, the show began on time.

The Aranya spin-off portrayed a more poetic version of the unique show, suggesting an idyllic lifestyle inside the community.

Before the show, a prelude video called “Mirage” made its debut to the livestreaming audience.

Produced by Chinese filmmaker Jia Zhangke and directed by up-and-coming auteur Wei Shujun, “Mirage” portrayed a boy’s travels from the sting of the Gobi Desert to Aranya’s 320-meter runway. The Beijing-based rock band Sleeping Dogs played a live rating that launched the show.

Louis Vuitton’s men’s design studio introduced 10 unseen looks on the show.

“At sunset, by the ocean, walking through the sand castle, models looked like a bunch of spiritual nomads,” Jia said after the show.

“It’s hard to inform in the event that they are returning or going somewhere. Because the last ray of sunlight disappears, the sunshine of mankind lights up on top of the castle.”

For Chinese influencer Linxuan Gong, the show amplified the link between the brand’s late creative director Virgil Abloh and Aranya.

“Aranya is like Truman’s world. It’s a man-made world, similar to Duchamp’s ready-made art, which is an extreme artistic expression of each day life,” Gong said. “Aranya is basically that big of a playground.”

“We were in one other world,” said Stephen Khou, skater and co-founder of streetwear brand Avenue&Son. “It was just perfect, great collection, bangin’ location, cool people, and dope sound, then we began partying super early, it felt like 4 a.m. by 10.”

“It feels uplifting, to give you the option to successfully host a fashion show at times like these,” added Zhuge Sujia, deputy editor in chief of Elle China and editor in chief and publisher of SuperElle. “But seeing the fun and quirky details of the garments up close, you might be reminded of the joyful moments in life,” she said.

After the show, guests enjoyed performances by local artists corresponding to Higher Brother’s Masiwei, rapper Charity Sbb, indie rock band Carsick Cars, DJ Shao, and DJ Bigloco.

On top of the style shows, guests might be immersed in Vuitton’s playground-themed world throughout the Aranya community.

Cinema facades, outdoor murals, buses, crossroads, and low cups were plastered over with Vuitton men’s signature childlike graphics and cartoon heroes. Louis Vuitton also brought Librairies Éphémères to Aranya in the shape of two month-long newsstands.