March 14th. The day Asia's very own Paris Hilton first graced the world with her presence. Now, twenty-six years later, she's celebrating her birthday with the pinkest party on the planet. Held smack dab in the middle of the North American leg of her tour and on the rooftop of her 740 Park Avenue penthouse, despite it only being her 26th birthday party and paling in comparison to her 25th (her words, not mine!), it was still a party for the ages. Everyone who was anyone was invited, ranging from Chouka's fellow idols to socialites and rich kids to her influencer friends. Her party was the topic of conversation for the next week, with pictures flooding celebrities' Instagram pages and fan accounts on Twitter for days.
Inspired by Gossip Girl but with a very pink twist (because Chouka's obsessed with the show again), and because this is a party for Chouka, it was as opulent and indulgent as any party she's thrown. With flower arrangements that supposedly cost $20 per flower (that might be a rumor, but knowing Chouka, who knows), macarons piled nearly to the ceiling, and an open bar, the average person would've killed to be a fly on the wall. And on top of all of that, the birthday girl couldn't help but throw a bit of mess into it.
We'll see how the party went down for its guests later on, but how did the belle of the ball herself enjoy it? Well, let's see!
First things first, the invitations.
Chouka kept it classic by sending pink envelopes stamped with a gold (surprisingly not pink) seal to her guests, with the attendee's name written front and center in gold ink, a charmingly extra "Mademoiselle/Monsieur" tacked on for good measure. If said attendee happened to be in a group, then every member got their own invitation. Chouka's generous like that.
What did the invites say, exactly?
"Hello, Upper East Siders.
Word on the street is that you're invited to the party of the year. Our very own Love Aikawa is turning 26 this Friday, and she wants you to join her for a night that will go down in history.
You wouldn't want to miss it. Now wouldn't that be quite the social faux pas.
You know you love me. XOXO, Gossip Girl."
But, that wasn't all. Paired with the physical invites that were sent, Chouka also sent out invitations in the form of text messages. Well, more literally, in the form of a classic Gossip Girl blast, reading, "Rumor has it that Chouka Aikawa is throwing a birthday bash that'll rival Blair Waldorf's. It's not open invite (regrettably so), but the lucky few that do receive a pink envelope in their mailboxes will hit 740 Park Avenue head to toe in, well, pink (hopefully). We have no doubt in our minds that March 14th will be a night to remember. Chouka always knows how to throw a good party. Happy early birthday, C. We hope you enjoy it. XOXO, Gossip Girl."
Iconic already, and the party hadn't even started yet.
So, what was on the menu at the 26th birthday party to end all 26th birthday parties?
The bougiest food you can imagine, that's what!
Chouka has always been one for hors d'oeuvres at the parties she throws, especially since guests have to have room for the massive birthday cake she always has. Plus, the sit-down dinner is usually reserved for her family, so... Aside from that, being the daughter of a billionaire, of course she had the most expensive shit you could ever put in your mouth.
Starting with the drinks, she had champagne for days (Cristal only, everyone drinks Dom Perignon–in her social circle, that is). Enough of it to fill the Atlantic Ocean. Not only did she have some floating around in a bowl full of rose-shaped ice, but she also had some stocked up in her kitchen. She was never going to run out, that's for sure. In addition to that, she also had champagne on her dessert table, topped with tufts of pink cotton candy. A very "Chouka" spin on a regular glass of champagne. Guests could also toss a strawberry in there for good measure, because of course they could.
Speaking of the aforementioned open bar (which was just sitting in her massive living room), drinks were being made all night, and almost all of them were pink. Yes, really. She had pink cocktails with edible glitter in them, pink cocktails with lipstick kisses floating on top, and pink salt around the rims of some of the glasses. Of course, not everyone had to drink a pink cocktail. In fact, not everyone had to drink a cocktail at all. Not everything was alcohol.
The drinks were mostly being passed around by her house staff, like the hors d'oeuvres mentioned earlier. Now, what was being served, exactly? Miniature lobster rolls (it was on the East Coast, after all), blinis topped with everything from smoked salmon to shrimp to caviar and creme fraiche (yes, caviar–Chouka always has it at her birthday parties), shrimp cocktails, and of course, canapes (she really loves these). She also had fruit in little cups being passed around because fruit is simple and classic and not everyone enjoys seafood or ridiculously expensive appetizers.
Onto the best part, the dessert table! That table was the centerpiece of Chouka's party, and, as you might've guessed, everything was pink. Of course, she had the aforementioned macaron towers (all of them were from Laduree), but she also had cupcakes topped with strawberries and pink chocolate decorations stamped with her initials (C.A.–who else?), chocolate-covered strawberries dusted with glitter (and the chocolate was, yes, pink), cake pops, and petit fours. She also had a pink chocolate fountain. It wasn't as large as the one at her 25th, but of course she had one.
And what's dessert without a birthday cake? Like mentioned earlier, since Chouka is, well, Chouka, her cake was huge.
Topped with twenty-six individual candles, once they were lit, it was enough light to illuminate New York City in its entirety. Of course, Chouka's cake was also various shades of pink and covered in rosettes made of frosting. "Chouka-core" in every sense of the word.
Also, take this picture and imagine it two times larger. That's how big her cake was.
Now, let's get to the good stuff. What was the industry's resident fashion icon wearing that night?
Well, in typical Chouka fashion, she picked through the archives of the world's greatest designers. Namely, Dior. Dressed in pink (of course–it was the night's dress code, after all), she got her hands on a 2000s era piece from Dior's archive–of which was worn by one of her favorite supermodels, Gisele Bundchen.
She wore a pair of vintage Jimmy Choo heels from right out of her own (massive) closet, and despite the fact that she was wearing someone's rent, Chouka kept her ever recognizable ruby engagement ring in her room... for obvious reasons. She couldn't have it flying off in the middle of the night.
Of course, her husband–Jason–was matching with her, something the two had been doing since the moment they started dating. He kept it rather simple, not wanting to outshine his wife, of course, wearing a pink button down (with the sleeves rolled up and the first few buttons left undone) and a pair of black pants. He still looked hot despite his simple attire, because why wouldn't he? This is Jason we're talking about!
With so many high profile stars pulling up to one of the most exclusive streets in NYC, it was inevitable that the paparazzi was going to be tipped off eventually. About an hour into the guests' arrivals, cameras were stationed outside the entrance to Chouka's apartment building, waiting to catch a glimpse of another pink-clad star entering through the doors of 740 Park Avenue. So who were some of the stars in question? Ranging from all four members of KRUSH and Japan's very own pop icon, Kaori Takahashi to legendary soloist Lee Jang-mi to top idols such as Jennie of BLACKPINK, Chungha, and Nayeon and Jihyo of TWICE to iconic celebs/influencers such as Bella Hadid, Emma Chamberlain, and Paris Hilton.
This isn't a "best moments" section without mentioning how cute Chouka and Jason were. They were dancing the night away on the dance floor, and even though Jason couldn't bring one of his HD cameras to capture his wife's big day, he was getting as many good pictures as he possibly could with just his iPhone. On top of that, he also gave the sweetest speech about her right before she blew out her candles. Additionally, Chouka's parents were also there, and she shared a dance with both of them.
Speaking of dancing, this was probably the most anyone's seen Chouka let her hair down (this and her 25th birthday, of course). She was on the dance floor almost all night, and if she wasn't, she was mingling with her guests. At some point, she pulled her hair into a ponytail and kept going. For someone who's usually so poised, she can be such a party girl!
Now, we have to mention the photo booth. Yes, there was a photo booth. This gave guests ample opportunities to interact, and gave their fans ample content of said interactions. Chouka herself was being pulled into the booth every five minutes, because of course, everyone wanted a photo with the birthday girl. The booth itself was pink and had accessories such as masquerade masks, plastic champagne flutes, hand fans, tiaras and feather boas. The first two were references to Gossip Girl, while the latter three were references to her album, Sincerely. We love a girl who knows how to market.
And, finally, we have to mention the games. All based off of Gossip Girl, the first one began as soon as guests walked through the door. The basic premise was that guests were told a piece of gossip about another guest (or about Chouka herself), and they gradually had to reveal it over the course of the night. If it made it to the subject before the night was over, though, then the guest who initially received that piece of information would be out. Don't worry, the "gossip" in question wasn't real. It was entirely fake, entirely harmless, and all of it was references to the show. The second was a less convoluted "guessing game," where guests would gather around as Chouka read questions related to Gossip Girl off a pile of pink cards. And the last one? Well, it wasn't a game, per se, but it was definitely quite messy.
Stationed at the front door was a "gossip box," where guests could write a piece of real gossip about anyone they chose on (pink) notecards, fold it up, and slip it into the box. Now, there were two rules. One–it couldn't be too damning or too bitchy, and two–guests had to sign off their cards with the ever iconic "XOXO, Gossip Girl." Guests didn't have to write anything if they didn't want to, but it was a way for the ones who did to "spill their guts" in a way. Chouka kept them safe and sound, and she didn't end up reading any of them. She might be quite the gossip herself, but she isn't evil. She might end up burning them by Saturday, anyways.
So, that was the iconic night that was March 14th, 2025. Guests from all over the globe flew into New York City just to wish Chouka a happy birthday, and maybe have a drink or two. Idols, influencers... am I forgetting anyone? Oh, yes, I am! You!
If you 🫵🏽 want to attend Chouka's very pink birthday bash, just send a DM or an ask to this account, and an invite will be on its way! Unfortunately, it doesn't come in a pink envelope, but it's still an invite!
Can't wait to see you there! 𝜗𝜚
