Tracing Céline Dion’s Style Evolution, From ’90s Minimalist to Modern Maximalist
Céline Dion has lived multiple fashion lives over the course of her near four decades-long career. The Canadian singer, who turns 52 today, is arguably one of music’s most exuberant dressers, beloved as much for her glorious voice as her extravagant sense of style.
It’s an evolution that started at the tender age of 13 with the release of her first album, La Voix du Bon Dieu (she would record eight more by the age of 18, racking up numerous awards along the way). Even still, few fans will remember the acid-wash jeans and spangly eighties prom dresses of her youth. It wasn’t until the 1990s, when Dion glided on to the world stage with Unison, her debut English language album, that she made her first big impressions on the red carpet. Her look at the time was altogether more soigné than that of her teen star persona, defined by the clean lines and minimalist mood of the moment. She was known to rock classic LBDs and sleek column dresses with whisper-thin spaghetti straps. That said, there were early signs of her risk-taking fashion impulses: take the red form-fitting gown (a tad sheer!) that she wore to an awards dinner in 1997.
Of course, Dion’s most hotly debated fashion moment of that decade came in 1999, when she wore Galliano’s controversial back-to-front tuxedo to the Oscars. At that point in her career, Dion was a bonafide superstar thanks to “My Heart Will Go On,” the chart-topping ballad off the Titanic (1997) soundtrack. Where other celebrities might have played it safe, Dion challenged the Academy status quo with a conceptual pant suit that was the opposite of Hollywood glamour. Though the outfit was universally panned by critics at the time, it now looks remarkably forward-thinking more than two decades later.
The singer cemented her superstar status in the early 2000s with high-wattage fashion choices becoming of a true diva. Dion began her long-standing residency at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace, performing in an array of dazzling gowns, all of which were heavy on color, crystals, and overall opulence. This continued well into the early 2010s, as her Las Vegas shows became more and more successful over the years.
In the 2010s, Dion switched things up, undergoing a major style transformation. She enlisted the help of celebrity stylist Law Roach circa 2016 who began dressing her in of-the-moment labels such as Balenciaga, Vetements (he even dressed her in the brand’s Titanic-themed hoodie), and more. It was during the couture shows in July that same year when her style renaissance came into the spotlight. Dion donned statement looks galore to the shows, each more eye-catching than the next. She was seen perched front row at Giambattista Valli in a romantic prairie white dress; then days later striding through the streets of Paris in a cool neon green Balenciaga dress.
Now a fixture on the couture scene, Dion has been working with stylists Pepe Muñoz and Sydney Lopez to shift her daring fashion sensibilities into higher gear. This year, Dion emerged in New York City wearing a slew of flamboyant, OTT outfits, including a head-to-toe floral print look by Richard Quinn x Moncler comprised of a coat and matching leggings. On any given afternoon, she’ll break out a gala-worthy dress, just because. She was recently spotted on the streets of Manhattan in ball-skirted floral ensemble by Oscar de la Renta—naturally, she carried a bouquet to match the print. For Dion, clearly every day brings a new reason to get totally dressed up.
Photo: Getty Images1/35In 1987
Photo: Getty Images2/35In 1988
