THE red carpet was rolled out and the champagne flowing as a host of celebs descended on the town for the opening of new designer outlet Flannels.

Crowds gathered at the former H&M store in Regent Street as the luxury retailer opened its doors for a sneak preview VIP event.

A host of famous faces checked out the new store including interior design guru Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, known for his flamboyant creations on BBC’s Changing Rooms. He attended with his wife Jackie.

“Swindon is a bordello of a buzzing metropolis of activity,” he said.

“Having this store here shows that you can have glamour anywhere and I think it will be a great success, My wife has her eye on some shoes so we will end up buying something tonight.

“We have a really soft spot for Swindon as our first grandchild is due to be born at the Great Western Hospital next month so it’s great to be here.”

Dr Dawn Harper from Channel 4's Embarassing Bodies also attended.

The worlds of football and fashion collided as a host of Swindon Town footballers also joined the glittering event. Nathan Thompson, Lawrence Vigouroux, Lloyd Jones, Luke Norris and Jamie Sendles-White could be seen perusing some Versace shirts.

Defender Nathan said the group were enjoying having a look at the latest designer wear.

“We’re all quite into our style and having something like this in Swindon is a definite plus point. I think people will really like it, it’s different and it looks great so I’ll definitely be coming in," he said.

Crowds of business owners, local dignitaries, including North Swindon MP Justin Tomlinson and the public could be seen browsing the selection of clothing, bags and shoes.

The evening also included canapes, a live DJ, a £1,000 voucher giveaway, and a fashion show featuring male and female models modelling the latest fashions.

Ayesha Randhawa, newly appointed store manager with 17 years experience said she was feeling ahead of the store’s launch tomorrow.

“I feel really nervous but so positive about the store. It’s something so different for Swindon and I think if we’re getting this positive a reaction already, things will work out amazingly for us," she said.

The new 18,000 square foot shopping store spans two floors and sell men’s and women’s luxury clothing, accessories and footwear.

The arrival of the luxury retailer means Swindon shoppers will now have the chance to peruse a range of designers including Stone Island, Hugo Boss, Versus Versace, Giuseppe Zanotti, Paul & Shark, DSquared2, Kenzo, Joseph and Jimmy Choo.

More than 30 new jobs- including store manager and casual sales consultants – are set to be created.