RIYADH — All eyes were on Saudi Arabia last night as Elie Saab put on a dazzling spectacle fusing fashion, entertainment and a gobsmacking lineup of female musical talent.
It was an hour of surprises and triumphs featuring 300 couture looks woven through live performances from the biggest names in music.
Halle Berry opened the show, which had more than 1,000 guests in attendance, wearing the burgundy Elie Saab gown she wore for the historic Oscar win 22 years earlier that catapulted the actress and the designer into stardom.
Halle Berry on Elie Saab’s runway in Riyadh.
Courtesy of Elie Saab
Jennifer Lopez, in her first big performance since her break up with Ben Affleck, floated down on stage from a cloud of feathers singing “I Will Survive,” a nod to coming back from a tough year in which she also canceled her world tour. Lopez didn’t hold back for her performance which included high-octane dance routines with a bevy of dancers to some of her greatest hits including “Waiting for Tonight,” “Let’s Get Loud,” and “On the Floor.”
Jennifer Lopez made a dramatic entrance.
Courtesy of Elie Saab
Camila Cabello emerged on a set of oversized flowers with the performer and models wearing shades of blush and pink, evoking the warmth of a summer garden. The singer charmed the crowd by tweaking a line on her charting topping song “Havana”, changing the word to “Saudia”, an ode to the host country where just five years ago live entertainment was forbidden.
Saab saved the best for last, with a surprise performance for the finale from Celine Dion, who descended a coiling staircase wearing an Elie Saab gold embroidered cape gown singing “The Power of Love.” She followed that up with an uplifting performance of her hit “I’m Alive” which brought the crowd to its feet with cheers for the singer, who suffers from a rare neurological disorder which causes debilitating muscle spasms, forcing her to largely step away from singing for two years.
“We have had long and deep relationships with Celine, with Jennifer, with everyone who performed tonight,” an emotional Saab said after the show. “They performed and gave from their heart, it felt like family all together here tonight.”
Camila Cabello arrives at the Elie Saab event in Riyadh.
Courtesy of Elie Saab
The show also included a bevy of supermodels with whom Saab has worked, including Helena Christiansen, Adriana Lima, Alek Wek, Eva Herzigova, Jourdan Dunn and Mariacarla Boscono. Among celebrity guests in the front row were Monica Bellucci and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.
“This was all about celebrating the past, present and future of the brand,” added Elie Saab Jr, group chief executive officer of the Lebanese fashion house his father started in 1982. Saab Jr. said that although he was young when Berry won the Oscar, he had grown up seeing the image everywhere. “It was such a defining moment for the brand, and it felt incredibly special to have her here with us.”
The designer also added that there was a message he was sending to the clients.
“The moment with Halle Berry was so special for us.” Bringing that magic back, the designer said, was part nostalgia and “part of it was to say to our client you can wear your dress more than one time.”
Saab Jr. and his father worked tirelessly producing the event. “We were involved in all the details from A to Z.”
Lori Harvey.
Courtesy of Elie Saab
The styling by Carine Roitfeld and choreography of Blanca Li, coupled with elaborate stage settings, wove together the performances in a loose “1001 Arabian Nights” storyline.
“This is special because we worked with so many different performing artists, dancers and models. It was a challenge to make it all work together as one show and I think it worked out beautifully,” Saab said.
The event not only celebrated Saab’s 45-year legacy but also highlighted Saudi Arabia’s growing influence in the global fashion landscape. “I’m really so proud to share this experience tonight from my region. I want to show the world how much we love life and admire beauty here,” the designer said.
Saab Jr. said the idea was to do something never seen before. “You know when we first told people about this idea, no one really understood it. Is it a concert or a fashion show? As a brand we have a very strong vision to deliver on experiences. We have diversified in from haute couture to furniture to be a brand that delivers experience and what better way than merging fashion and entertainment. Hopefully there is much more to come,” he teased.