Gucci staged a runway show at the historic Shanghai Exhibition Centre on Tuesday evening, featuring its Aria anniversary collection, first released digitally in April, alongside 13 new looks making their debut.

House ambassadors Lu Han and Ni Ni were on hand for the high-octane catwalk, which took place directly next door to the Gucci Garden Archetypes exhibition, which is open to the public until August 1.

The new looks were very much in keeping with the original Aria line-up, further exploring Alessandro Michele’s revision of the brand’s equestrian heritage, in particular.

Gucci’s line-up of in-person events in Shanghai, along with similar activities being undertaken in China by other luxury brands, underscores the need for luxury labels to reach Chinese consumers who are spending at home in the wake of the pandemic.

International brands who have been hoping for a return to Chinese travelling and shopping abroad anytime soon are likely to be disappointed, with a Wall Street Journal report on Thursday citing Chinese government sources as saying the country will not re-open its borders until the second half of 2022.