The first leg of Celine Dion's wildly successful Parisian residency is over and what a performance it's been. Critics in the French and international press have called her shows “triumphant" and emotional, with attendees effusing over the experience, many noting the sincerity of her delivery (there were tears — both from the star and her audience). The 58-year-old's on-stage fashions — dramatic, often custom-made gowns from Schiaparelli, Dior, Louis Vuitton and Alaïa — certainly met the moment. It was a grand return for the ballad-busting diva who ended a yearslong break caused by the pandemic and her own diagnosis with a rare neurological condition.
Dion dazzled audiences well beyond the 45,000-capacity Plentitude Arena. Crowds in their hundreds have camped outside her hotel since she arrived at the end of August. It was there that she has staged her own riveting pre- and post-show performances. In videos that have flooded social media, she can be seen theatrically mimicking her security guards’ poses, or taking a gulp of air before submerging into her car as though it were water. At one point, she leapt barefoot up onto the car's hood to lose herself in the venerating singsong of her fans.
Dion’s clothing during these appearances also told a story. Leaning heavily on tailored trenchcoats and jackets, angular suiting and cinched in skirts — by Phoebe Philo, Givenchy and Tom Ford, she was a glamorous woman going to work. It was a way of telling her fans: I’m taking this as seriously as you are. Except of course, she was having a ball.
