AFI/Getty Images
In a strange and gorgeous spectacle, 80 fashion models from around the world marched down the Great Wall of China while a host of celebrities and dignitaries looked on. It was the first-ever runway show on the Great Wall, and a sign of glamorous things to come in the fast-changing nation. Keep clicking for more on the show, staged Oct. 19, 2007 in Beijing.
Models March On China's Great Wall
Getty Images/Andrew Walker
Models in the latest fashions from Karl Lagerfeld for Fendi marched down the battlements of the ancient walls in the footsteps of legions of soldiers long ago. But under the banner of the Italian luxury fashion house, this invading army was marching on high heels. Their weapons were dresses from Lagerfeld's Fall/Winter 2007 collection.
Models March On China's Great Wall
Getty Images/Andrew Walker
The event brought a host of celebrities, local and international, to Beijing. Here, actress Kate Bosworth, right, aims her camera at Ziyi Zhang during the Great Wall of China Fashion Show in Beijing on Oct. 19, 2007.
Models March On China's Great Wall
Getty Images/Andrew Walker
Ziyi Zhang, known to westerners as the star of "Memoirs of a Geisha" and "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," attends the Great Wall of China Fashion Show showcasing designer Karl Lagerfeld's Fall/Winter 2007 collection for Fendi in Beijing on Oct. 19, 2007.
Models March On China's Great Wall
Getty Images/Andrew Walker
Actress Thandie Newton attends the Great Wall of China Fashion Show in Beijing on Oct. 19, 2007. Newton was a regular on "E.R." and a co-star of the movie "Crash."
Models March On China's Great Wall
AFP/Getty Images
China is viewed as the next great market for luxury goods. The rich there are still a tiny slice of the population. But with 20 percent of the world's people, a slice of China is a big opportunity. The new rich there tend to prize designer labels, marketers say. At left, a model poses during the Fendi Fashion Show on Oct. 19, 2007.
Models March On China's Great Wall
Getty Images/Andrew Walker
Fendi expects to have 10 boutiques in China by the end of 2007 -- nearly 10 percent of its global total. Here, Bernard Arnault, chairman and CEO of Fendi's owner, LVMH, watches the show with Helene Arnault, Ziyi Zhang, Kate Bosworth and James Rousseau on the Great Wall of China in Beijing on Oct. 19, 2007.
Models March On China's Great Wall
Getty Images/Lucas Dawson
Models walk the runway wearing designs from Karl Lagerfeld's Fall/Winter 2007 collection at the Fendi Great Wall of China fashion show in Beijing on Oct. 19, 2007.
Models March On China's Great Wall
Getty Images/Lucas Dawson
After a half century of isolation from the West, change in China is moving at a tremendous pace, and the Chinese have become avid consumers of international culture and products. And, of course, nothing changes so fast as fashion. Here, models walk the runway at the Fendi Great Wall of China fashion show in Beijing on Oct. 19, 2007.
Models March On China's Great Wall
Getty Images/Andrew Walker
A model walks past rows of spectators at the Fendi Great Wall of China Fashion Show showcasing designer Karl Lagerfeld's Fall/Winter 2007 collection in Beijing on Oct. 19, 2007.
Models March On China's Great Wall
Getty Images/Andrew Walker
An after-show party brought an extra dose of glitter to the Great Wall of China Fashion Show. At left, guests dance at the party at Sanlitun, a top Beijing night spot, on Oct. 19, 2007.
Models March On China's Great Wall
Getty Images/Andrew Walker
Guests dance at the after-show party at Sanlitun following the Fendi Great Wall of China Fashion Show in Beijing on Oct. 19, 2007.
Models March On China's Great Wall
Getty Images/Andrew Walker
This must be one of the most exotic sights in Beijing in recent memory. Designer Karl Lagerfeld attends the after-show party at Sanlitun following the Fendi Great Wall of China Fashion Show on Oct. 19, 2007.
Models March On China's Great Wall
Getty Images/Andrew Walker
Striking a more traditional note, a performer dances at the after-show party following the Fendi Great Wall of China Fashion Show in Beijing on Oct. 19, 2007.
Models March On China's Great Wall
Getty Images/Andrew Walker
A local troupe of wall dancers perform at the after-show party following the Fendi Great Wall of China Fashion Show in Beijing on Oct. 19, 2007.
Models March On China's Great Wall
Getty Images/Andrew Walker
Wall dancers perform at the after show party following the Fendi Great Wall of China Fashion Show in Beijing on Oct. 19, 2007.
