This week, Halle Berry hit fans with a major throwback. While attending Elie Saab’s “1001 Seasons” event in Saudi Arabia, Berry walked the runway in the iconic sheer and embroidered crimson couture Saab gown she wore to the 2002 Oscars ceremony, where she became the first Black woman to win the Best Actress category.
Looking just as stunning in the gown 22 years later, the actress commemorated the moment on Instagram.
“There are some moments in life that just happen, and they change our lives forever! Winning an Academy Award in my @eliesaabworld gown was one of those moments for me,” Berry captioned the post. “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 honor to celebrate you and your 1001 Seasons. Here’s wishing you many more glorious years of joy, creativity, and glamour!”
In 2002, Berry arrived at the Oscars in Saab’s gown and her signature pixie cut. Fast-forward two decades, and the only difference between then and now is the star’s sleek top-knot.
At the time, the actress was nominated for Best Actress for her role in the 2001 film “Monster’s Ball.” In addition to earning her first Academy Award nomination and win, Berry acknowledged how historic the moment was for Black Hollywood.
“This moment is so much bigger than me,” she said during her acceptance speech. “This moment is for Dorothy Dandridge, Lena Horne, Diahann Carroll. It’s for the women that stand beside me; Jada Pinkett, Angela Bassett, [and] Vivica Fox. And it’s for every nameless, faceless woman of color that now has a chance because this door tonight now has been opened.”
In 2023, the Elie Saab gown was placed on display at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles as a piece of Hollywood history. Sharing pictures of the dress within the museum, Berry explained the impact of its placement.
“Not only will this historic @eliesaabworld gown remain in the expert care of the museum’s curators and conservators,” she wrote on Instagram. “But it will also be accessible to generations of people for whom the dress also holds meaning and forever be a reminder that all things are possible.”
