On Wednesday, Halle Berry walked the runway at Elie Saab’s fall 2025 presentation in Saudi Arabia wearing the same dress she wore when she won her Oscar for Best Actress in 2002. She revealed to the audience that 22 years ago, she met the designer on this day. She then sat in the front row as the brand showcased its collection titled 1001 Seasons of Elie Saab. Meanwhile, the event continued to surprise, featuring 300 looks as well as performances from Céline Dion, Jennifer Lopez, Camila Cabello, Nancy Ajram, and Amr Diab.
While the gown itself is beautifully crafted, it’s reminiscent of the historic night Berry had while wearing it to the awards show. Not only did she win her first Oscar, but she was the first Black woman to win an Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in Monster’s Ball.
Last year, it was announced that the iconic gown would be displayed at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles. How it got from the display case to Berry in Saudi Arabia will remain a fashion mystery for decades. But Berry knew what she was doing. Two hours before the show, she posted a selfie on Instagram captioned, “My son would say ‘tonight I was cooking’ stay tuned.” The reveal was worth it. She cooked.