“It’s crazy, it felt like we were in Vegas! » Carine Roitfeld still can’t believe it. This November 13, the 1,500 spectators of “1,001 seasons of Elie Saab” were nevertheless in Riyadh, in the heart of the Arabian peninsula. Rhinestones, curves and transparency in the kingdom of the abaya. More than a fashion show, the haute couture designer offered an extraordinary show, the first major fashion gathering ever organized in Saudi Arabia. In a society in the process of emancipation, but still under the influence of Wahhabi conservatism, it took audacity to ask Carine Roitfeld, queen of “porn chic” and former feared boss of “Vogue France”, to take care of the styling of this XXL production.
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A successful bet: broadcast live on MBC1, the Saudi national channel, the event brought together millions of spectators. And above all a who’s who of stars! We owe this in part to the show’s producer, René Célestin, a long-time friend of Elie Saab, who brought the Victoria’s Secret lingerie shows to life for twelve years. As well as the opening and closing ceremonies of the Paris Olympic Games. A feat of arms which allowed him, last May, to telephone Céline Dion to ask her to participate in this unique project.
An ode to femininity true to the Saab spirit
A big fan of Elie and his creations, which she has worn for years, the diva accepts, rejoicing to sing “I’m Alive” with an oriental touch: “We had to wink at those who welcome. They have a rich culture of which they are proud but which some Westerners have been able to look down on, explains René Célestin. Throughout the project, ideas were presented and submitted to the Saudi authorities and were always accepted, without any changes. » Same story with Roitfeld, who claims to have enjoyed such freedom that she had to set the limits for herself!
The designer thus celebrated with great pomp, and in the magic of an oriental night, his 45 years of career. An ode to femininity faithful to the Saab spirit, but with restraint so as not to shock anyone. The event was part of the Riyadh Season. Created in 2019, promoting sport, Music and culture, this major festival is seen as a demonstration of force of the policy of opening towards foreign countries. A system in line with the country’s major recovery plan, Vision 2030, launched by Crown Prince Mohammed Ben Salman (“MBS”), in order to free the Saudi economy from its dependence on oil, with investments in tourism and culture , a certain societal modernization with clear progress for women’s rights and the creation of a General Authority for Entertainment.
Diversity and the entertainment society are now everywhere
Mathias Curnier
“We must remember that, until 2017, organizing a music concert in public was prohibited, and wearing a veil was compulsory. Today it is another world: everything has accelerated with the implementation of Vision 2030, mentalities have radically changed. Diversity and the entertainment society are now everywhere,” explains Mathias Curnier, director of tourism and communications at the French Agency for the Development of AlUla. Since its creation in 2018, Afalula has launched a series of spectacular initiatives to strengthen the kingdom’s cultural and tourism offering.
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At the head of the cultural development department, we find Catherine Pgard, the former president of the Palace of Versailles. Masterful concerts by Mariah Carey, Renaud Capuçon, Lang Lang and Andrea Bocelli, creation of the Azimuth Electronic Music Festival and reopening on December 4 of Alain Ducasse’s restaurant. The development has been dazzling, the program breathtaking. Mathias Curnier confirms: “Here, when we have a project, we really give ourselves the means! »
A fashion “Super Bowl”
After sport and culture, Saudi soft power is logically investing in another equally unifying sector, quick to spark dreams… and financial revenues: fashion. A Christian Dior exhibition will also open this week in Riyadh. Kicking off this offensive, the “fashion show” of the Lebanese couturier, a new unidentified object on the couture planet, with assumed hyperbolic ambition.
To ensure its success, politicians did not hesitate to take out the checkbook and summon the biggest names. By having previously taken care to offer them a setting to suit them: The Venue, a monumental building that emerged from the sands in just one year, hosted this “Super Bowl” of fashion and culture. In total: five high-sequin scenes including a podium of iconic tops like Eva Herzigova or Helena Christensen, a concert by Céline Dion, a performance by Jennifer Lopez or even Camila Cabello, who came with their troupes of dancers. All in front of an audience of stars – Halle Berry, Monica Bellucci, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Poppy Delevingne, Kelly Rutherford, Alek Wek, Amelia Gray Hamlin, Adriana Lima… – arrived from all over the planet and all specially dressed by Elie Saab.
A veil can be a fashion element, there are no taboos to have
Carine Roitfeld
“Elie has the same level of demands as Azzedine Alaïa, which for me is the greatest compliment,” confides Carine Roitfeld. He remains one of the last couturiers to stitch his models’ dresses himself. Apart from Karl Lagerfeld, I have rarely seen a stylist so loved by his workshop. » A link between two worlds, its wardrobe of princess dresses that seem to come from a fairy tale seduces both Hollywood stars and crowned heads of the Middle East. “I have often been asked: but why work for a Middle East country? I believe that contributing to this type of project is what will allow us in ten to twenty years to all feel better together while respecting each other, analyzes Carine Roitfeld. I was the first to have a model parade with a veil, several years ago. A veil can be a fashion element, there are no taboos to have. On the show, there were Muslim top models. We made sure they felt good. »
From there to making Riyadh a new event on the world fashion weeks calendar? The French popess kicks in: “It’s premature for the moment. But, as Karl Lagerfeld said, the first time is always the most important. And the challenge with Elie Saab was met with flying colors. »
