A Red Carpet Affair with Elie Saab
We wrote about couture designer Elie Saab last month when he was in Malaysia for a press conference and the biannual Red Ribbon Gala held at the Mandarin Oriental on October 25. Though we did not attend the gala, here's an update on the event and the fashion show :)
The Elie Saab Haute Couture Autumn Winter 2008/09 Collection, fresh from the runways of Paris Fashion Week, brought a level of glamour to the fund-raising event that saw the who's who of Kuala Lumpur's celebrity scene out to lend their support to the Malaysian AIDS Foundation’s Red Ribbon Gala.
L to R: Dato' Nancy Yeoh, Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir, Professor Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman, Datin Mina Cheah-Foong
The gala was also attended by luminaries such as Seri Paduka Baginda Raja Permaisuri Agong Tuanku Nur Zahirah, Datin Paduka Seri Rosmah Mansor, Patron of the Malaysian AIDS Foundation; Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Tun Dr Siti Hasmah and Minister of Health Dato' Liow Tiong Lai.
The Elie Saab dress that went on auction. Photo courtesy of Elie Saab.
From the sales of tables and the auctions of exclusive items such as a red Elie Saab cocktail dress valued at RM35,000; a 35-carat ruby brooch courtesy of Mondial Rare Jewels worth RM200,000; signed Gerald Charles watches worth RM115,000 and RM29,000; and a tour package of return Business Class air tickets to London, which includes a 4D3N stay at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, a tour of the McLaren factory in Woking and a visit to the Mercedez-Benz Brand Centre in Brooklyn; the Malaysian AIDS foundation raised RM2 million to support Malaysians living with HIV/AIDS.
Some of the Elie Saab Haute Couture Autumn Winter 2008/09 Collection ball gowns shown at the gala:
