Highlighting the Middle East as the Next Fashion Hub, Elie Saabs Show Merged Fashion, Entertainment, and Powerful Female Voices
All roads led to Riyadh earlier this week as Lebanese designer Elie Saab celebrated his 45th anniversary in what can only be described as a fashion show spectacle to rival a Las Vegas residency, with the designers choice of Saudi Arabia solidifying the Middle-Easts jostling for position as the next major fashion hub, on this Saab said “Today, we are not simply concluding 45 years of heritage; instead, we are ushering in fresh years, marked by a pivotal moment laden with hope”.
This vision for a new hub is not simply to encourage luxury fashion to open a physical retail space, it is more expansive and includes harnessing businesses, the arts, entertainment, and fashion to create numerous hubs – from Riyadh to Qatar – that will demonstrate the progressive shifts happening across the region. Whether it’s the Fashion Trust Arabia prize, Riyadh fashion week, Soundstorm music festival or Riyadh season, expect for the waves being made by local Arab talent to continue to be felt by the wider fashion industry at large. In particular, through destination shows such as Elie Saabs “1001 Seasons of Elie Saab” which drew a roster of A-list stars from fashion, music, film, the arts and Saudi royalty – the event was co-hosted by His Excellency Turki Bin Abdul Mohsen Al-Alshaikh.
The showspace of the aptly named ‘The Venue’ consisted of stadium-style seating as the only viable option, considering the number of celebrities, friends and guests of the brand who flew in for the occasion, and as the rows of guests took their seats the epic-nature of Elie Saabs digitally-powered set design came to light. From the runway to the walls surrounding ‘The Venue’ immersive visuals depicting mind-bending graphic florals, rolling clouds, waves and fire became as much a part of the show experience as the models who walked through the set in their 300 expertly crafted and heavily embellished red carpet and cocktail dresses, jumpsuits and bridal gowns.
Themed around the Arabic folk tale of 1001 Nights the event was attended by over 1,001 high profile guests including celebrities, fashion industry leaders and influencers spanning global recognised names including Monica Bellucci, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Poppy Delevingne, Kelly Rutherford, Chriselle Lim, as well as regional voices from Egypt, Lebanon, and Turkey – Hande Erçel, Youssra, Elissa, Nadine Njeim, Cyrine Abdel Nour, Sulafa Mimar. The 300 custom looks were walked by renowned models and runway veterans Eva Herzigova, Mariacarla Boscono, Jourdan Dunn, Adriana Lima, Alek Wek, Amelia Gray Hamlin, Candice Swanepoel, and Helena Christensen.
Global music icon Jennifer Lopez opened the show with a section focussed on the Art Deco era as jazz dancers performed alongside, it also marked her return to the stage after cancelling her ‘This Is Me…Now’ tour earlier this year, but her set had the crowd singing along to her hits “Waiting for Tonight” and “On the Floor” following her descent to the stage on a feathered platform singing a rendition of “I Will Survive”.
Camilla Cabello’s youthful – and in some places risqué – performance was softened as she sang (her hit song “Havana” became “Saudia”) amidst gigantic paper flowers and a collection focussed on floral artistry as models were dressed in tones of blush and pink 3D flower designs. This was followed by the regional talents of the “Queen of Arab Pop” Nancy Ajram, and Egyptian artist Amr Diab.
However, it was Celine Dion’s surprise appearance which brought the crowd of over 1000 guests to their feet. Having witnessed her show-stopping performance at the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics in July, Dion (in only her second outing since returning to music) who was dressed in a gold sequinned fishtail gown with matching cape took charge of the stage as she sang her infamous version of the 1980s power-ballad “The Power of Love”. Closing the show with an energetic “I’m Alive” performance which elicited an extended standing ovation from those in attendance.
By accepting that entertainment via music or fashion can be a bridge to connect the outside world, this anniversary show is another example of countries in the region, Saudi Arabia in particular, rolling out the red carpet for new, potentially lucrative, revenue streams via tourism.
As the luxury fashion industry in the West experiences challenging conditions, designers and brands across the Middle East are continuing to offer heightened levels of spectacle and fantasy which the industry has been missing of late. The ‘1001 Seasons of Elie Saab’ was a show akin to a theatre production with the collection styled by Carine Roitfeld and artistic direction led by ‘acclaimed choreographer’ Bianca Li, both adding a modern outlook to the occasion. Respecting the Arabian heritage of the Elie Saab brand, cultural traditions, and harnessing The Venue’s state-of-the-art immersive design to create ‘a dynamic fusion of movement, music, and couture’ according to the brand.
Elie Saab’s celebration at Riyadh Season is a culmination of generations of fashion, rooted in traditions that preceded me, and which I have had the privilege of reinvigorating and evolving. The event captured vast expanses of creativity drawn from the essence of Arab culture and its golden years of intellect and innovation, now showcased to the world through this magnificent event.
Elie Saab, Creative Director, Elie Saab
The popularity of Saab as an international designer and couturier meant that the show required a global platform, and much like on-schedule seasonal shows the 45th anniversary was live-streamed for the brands loyal and aspiring fans via The Impression and on the MBC Channel. It also propelled Riyadh into a spotlight that is sure to get brighter as Saudi Arabia counts down to Vision 2030 (spearheaded by King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman), which is the Kingdom’s plan to drive economic growth by merging its rich culture with multi-tainment (music, fashion, and sports). On this Elie Saab expressed his support saying “Vision 2030…is embodied in this magnificent event, presenting the vibrant and intricate Arab identity to
the world and establishing Riyadh not just as the capital of Saudi Arabia, but as a cultural and creative epicenter for the Arab world”.
The show also took place during Riyadh Season (launched in 2019), which has become a key pillar event taking place every winter, and in 2024 will feature the African Super Cup finals, exclusive boxing matches, tennis championships, stand-up comedy gigs, and an outpost of the Dior Café and the travelling exhibit ‘Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams’.
Led by Elie Saab’s 45th anniversary show, we can only expect to see and hear more from the region as it comes fully into the fashion fold.
