2009 found Rio de Janeiro hosting not one, but two of the greatest shows on Earth. Home to the world famous carnival, the Fashion Rocks event was welcomed to Rio by crowds eager to catch a glimpse of one of this year’s headliners, Maria Carey. It would be blasphemous to host a show in Rio and not steep it with a little Brazilian zest. This year’s event was one of the most thrilling and joyous to date. Infusing a range of exciting cultures with rhythmic abandon lent Fashion Rocks an atmosphere second to none. The sell-out show was hosted by hip-hop sensation P-Diddy, with performances from the man himself, Estelle, Grace Jones and Mariah Carey. The crème-de-le-crème of fashion were also present, with names such as Versace, Givenchy, Marc Jacobs and Calvin Klein. Once again the fusion of incendiary live performance coupled with a stunning range of garments marked Fashion Rocks out as one of the most exciting shows around.

The people of Rio de Janeiro welcomed the cast of Fashion Rocks with open arms and in the case of Mariah Carey, cheers and tears. During Mimi's weekend stay, a constant crowd was camped outside the Copacabana Palace, praying for a glimpse of the pop queen. Not that Mario Testino was letting her have all the glory. The photographer, who celebrated the launch of his book MaRIO DE JANEIRO Testino at a VIP dinner hosted by Donatella Versace and Brazilian Vogue on Friday night, joked to friends: "I keep going out there and telling them to chant for Mar-io, not Mar-iah!"

The following evening, Oi Fashion Rocks was completely sold out, an impressive feat given that tickets to the music-meets-fashion concert and charity initiative went from $650 to $20,000 for a box. The show opened with Sean "P. Diddy" Combs singing some of his greatest hits, including a rendition of "I'll Be Missing You" that he dedicated to the late Gianni Versace. A slew of local Brazilian dancers were up next, then came Ciara in Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci and Grace Jones in Marc Jacobs. The latter bared her 61-year-old buttocks and jiggled them, to the delight of the crowd.

Carey was the grand finale, and in true diva form, her performance didn't go off without incident. Scheduled to wear Calvin Klein Collection, she went instead with a corset number from another fashion house. "When you have a five-octave range, you can do whatever you want," Ciara reasoned. Besides, Francisco Costa's duds got plenty of exposure in the form of a model parade that took place during the concert. Backstage after the show, Carey had fun with her entourage: "Why are they so obsessed with me?" she asked before breaking into an a cappella version of her hit with more or less those exact lyrics.

Date:

Saturday 24th October 2009

Location:

The Jockey Club, Rio