Halle Berry rewears iconic Oscars gown as she attends star-studded fashion event in Saudi Arabia

Halle Berry has slipped back into the sexy, near-nude gown she wore to the Oscars 22 years ago during her history-making win.

World-renowned fashion designer Elie Saab has celebrated his eponymous label’s 45th anniversary with a star-studded soiree in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The event titled The 1001 Seasons of Elie Saab merged arts, fashion and entertainment and was held on Wednesday as part of the Riyadh Season – a cultural event that features concerts, sporting matches and more.

The extravaganza honouring the 60-year-old Lebanese designer attracted an A-list crowd such as Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Poppy Delevingne and Helena Christensen. However, the stars didn’t just sit front row at the event – they graced the catwalk too.

Halle Berry was an absolute standout as she took to the runway wearing her iconic 2002 Oscars gown designed by the man of the hour.

The actress wore the near-nude burgundy dress complete with silky asymmetrical skirt when she made history as the first Black woman to ever take home the award for Best Actress. Berry won for her role in the 2001 drama Monster’s Ball and it was also her first Oscars win.

Halle Berry attended The 1001 Seasons of Elie Saab celebration on November 13 by wearing a gown the designer created for her back in 2002 for the Oscars. Picture: Tiziano da Silva/Bestimage / BACKGRID

Berry accepted her Oscar for Best Actress while wearing the Elie Saab creation. Picture: TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP

“There are some moments in life that just happen and they change our lives forever!” she later captioned a video of herself on Instagram, rewearing the famous dress on the catwalk. “Winning an Academy Award in my @eliesaabworld gown was one of those moments for me!”

She added: “Thank you Mr. Saab for being a part of the tapestry of my life as we have been inextricably connected for 22 years now! It was my honour to celebrate you and your 1001 Seasons. Here’s wishing you many more glorious years of joy, creativity and glamour!”

The actress was met with wows and applause at The Venue in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Picture: Tiziano da Silva/Bestimage / BACKGRID

Her 2002 appearance in the near-nude gown was just as head-turning. Picture: LUCY NICHOLSON / AFP

There were also musical performances from Jennifer Lopez and Celine Dion.

Lopez, 55, was a knockout in a feathered coat and glittery bodysuit, designed by Elie Saab of course.

Although it was her first performance since her divorce from Ben Affleck, Lopez did not skip a beat, appearing effortlessly and flawlessly onstage for her eight-minute set.

This was Jennifer Lopez first performance since her break-up with Ben Affleck. Picture: Tiziano da Silva/Bestimage / BACKGRID

The singer kicked off her performance by belting out Gloria Gaynor’s classic I Will Survive while suspended on a platform, before she sang a medley of her own hits, including On the Floor, Let’s Get Loud and Waiting for Tonight.

The singer didn’t miss a beat and wowed the crown with her onstage antics. Picture: Tiziano da Silva/Bestimage / BACKGRID

Dion also dazzled onstage in a pale pink, floor-length sequined gown with a flowing cape as she performed her powerhouse ballad The Power of Love while models walked by in their Elie Saab creations – there were a total of 300 looks from his collection modelled last night.

Dion then closed the show with her song I’m Alive before walking off the runway with Saab, which she felt “very privileged” to do.

Singer Celine Dion sang two of her hits onstage. Picture: BACKGRID

This was only Dion’s second stage performance since revealing her stiff-person-syndrome diagnosis in 2022 – in August, she wowed the crowd when she sang at the Opening Ceremony of the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

Dion said she was “very privileged” to close the show for Elie Saab. Picture: BACKGRID

It remains to be seen if Lopez, Dion and the other celebrities who attended the show will be criticised on social media for promoting an event on the Saudi Arabia calendar.

Riyadh Season was introduced in 2019 as part of the Saudi Vision 2030 government program, which aims to increase tourism to the nation.

But given the country has long been said to violate basic human rights, celebrities who have attended in the past have been called out online.

Stars such as David Guetta, Steve Aoki, Alessandra Ambrosio, Ed Westwick and controversial star Armie Hammer have all been guests at the music festival MDL Beast during Riyadh Season – and it didn’t go down well with critics when the stars tried to use their influence when posting about the three-day festival.

Singer Camila Cabello was also one of the other musical performances. Picture: Tiziano da Silva/Bestimage / BACKGRID

“How much did Mohammed Bin Salman pay you to say this?” one user wrote at the time, referring to the Saudi Arabia prime minister.

Another critic wondered: “A ton of models, mini-celebrities and social media influencers were paid (A LOT) to be flown out to Saudi Arabia and post a few pictures of the

@MDLBeast festival.”

Model Emily Ratajkowski revealed she turned down a paid invitation to the event because her views did not align with that of Saudi Arabia.

“It’s very important to me to make clear my support for the rights of women, the LGBTQ community, freedom of expression and the right to a free press. I hope coming forward on this brings more attention to the injustices happening there,” she wrote in a statement at the time.