Dubai was in full-throttle on Thursday, as celebs partied the night away at the world's most exclusive bash.
It seems nobody can escape talk of the global recession these days, not even at the star-studded Atlantis launch party. While the $20 million (Dh73.5 million) affair didn't tighten Sol Kerzner's purse strings, the credit crunch was the topic du jour for the celebrities walking the red carpet on Thursday night.
Sir Richard Branson summed up the mood appropriately when he predicted: "This is the last great party of the decade, or even the next decade with the recession coming up."
From thrifty fashion tips by the style guru Trinny Woodall, to Mischa Barton's completely vapid "I prefer not to think about it" response when asked by a Russian journalist how she was coping with the economic downturn, many realised their social calendars were not likely to see another event so spectacular (even by Hollywood standards) while the world faced an uncertain financial future. So the only option left? To party hard.
The evening began with a strut down the red carpet, where celebrities were divided into two camps: those who dashed past jostling journalists to avoid tricky questions, and those who lapped up the attention. Unsurprisingly, those whose lives play out in the paparazzi lens were quick to flee — namely the troubled half of the Olsen twins, Mary-Kate, Sienna Miller's ex, Rhys Ifans, and of course, Lindsay Lohan who had made-up with DJ girlfriend Samantha Ronson following their public spat at a London nightclub earlier in the week.
As the guests were seated for the lavish dinner, many were pleased to find that the famous faces were not barricaded behind a velvet rope but dispersed throughout the vast outdoor venue — meaning the "average" guest could gawk for as long as they desired.
The Arab sensation Nawal warmed up the crowd, singing her most popular hits before the Australian pop princess Kylie Minogue made her way onto the stage, outfitted in costumes especially designed by Jean Paul Gaultier.
Minogue's high tempo performance (reportedly worth Dh7.34 million) cranked up the party atmosphere, which until then had been politely sedate. Stars were spotted dancing by their tables to tunes including On A Night Like This, Better The Devil You Know and Spinning Around.
Earlier on the red carpet, the singer remarked why the one-hour show was "a very big deal". "It's my first time here and tonight there's some incredible people in the audience." When asked how it felt to be a goddess of Atlantis she raised one shoulder seductively and said: "It feels quite nice, I have to say."
Eye candy
But the highlight of the evening was the awe-inspiring light show featuring Bollywood's girl of the moment, Priyanka Chopra. Hurrying back to his table just in time to watch the illuminated display projected across the entire length of the hotel was Om Shanti Om leading man, Shahrukh Khan. A resident of The Palm, Khan said he now faced the dilemma of choosing between the hotel or his private villa when in Dubai. "Atlantis has done the greatest job. If anyone wanted to discover Atlantis, this is it," he said taking a moment to view the party around him.
"I can't decide whether to stay Atlantis or my house. My children smile the most when we come here."
Following the record breaking fireworks display, DJ Sam got behind the decks and soon had everyone on the dance floor. While some of the celebs, like Wesley Snipes and model Yasmin Lebon, were happy to mix with the throng, others were happy to retreat to the comfort of the VIP tent where the bubbly flowed. Among them was the newly blonde Natalie Imbruglia and the Oscar winning actress Charlize Theron, who dazzled in a white Cavalli number offset with Neil Lane gold jewellery. She was accompanied by boyfriend Stuart Townsend. "We are feeling incredibly jetlagged, we just arrived a few hours ago," she confessed. "There's so many South Africans here — we were picked up at the aiport by a South African and also here at the hotel... I feel very at home."
Despite all the famous eye candy it was Lohan who was the talk of the evening. For most of the after party, she could be found discreetly standing by the raised platform as Ronson worked. The pair appeared to have smoothed over their recent tiff (reportedly thanks to a relationship counsellor), with Ronson leaning over to whisper in Lohan's ear or making her laugh with robot dance moves. Lohan could also be spotted dancing to the varied mix of music that included retro classics and her very own song, Rumours, pausing to pose for photos and chat with music legend Quincy Jones as well as former OC star Mischa Barton — who was also clearly enjoying herself.
When the stars began to depart for the luxury suites at around 3am, it was a sign the party was over… but the legend of the extravagant Atlantis party had only just begun.
