The House Of Dion

On the cusp of turning 50, pop icon Céline Dion has been reborn as a fashion icon. She talks about style at any age, and reveals how fashion helped her through loss

- Julia Braybrook

It was the gilded Valentin Yudashkin gown at the 2016 Billboard Awards that made insiders sit up in anticipation of a comeback after personal tragedy. But it was the sweatshirt by Vetements, featuring Rose and Jack from the 1997 blockbuster Titanic, which heralded Céline Dion’s debut into the fashion world. It was a risky move, one that could have easily come off as contrived for the ‘My Heart Will Go On’ singer, but for Céline it was the moment that marked her as one to watch. And ahead of her arrival here in August, we’re definitely taking notice.

Historically, when it comes to fashion the Canadian pop icon and five-time Grammy winner has stayed under the radar, and when she’s made waves it’s often been for her avant-garde choices. Wearing a reversed tux by John Galliano for Christian Dior, paired with a fedora, at the 1999 Oscars was perhaps the most memorable moment.

Then came 2016. In January, her husband of 22 years and manager for 33, René Angélil, passed away after a lengthy battle with cancer. Two days later, her brother Daniel died from the same illness. Her appearance at the 2016 Billboard Awards –where Céline accepted the ICON lifetime achievement award – came just four months after their deaths.

In the midst of dealing with their deaths, Céline turned to fashion. “Fashion is fun. Fashion is fantasy,” she says. “It can often provide the escape that we need to take our minds off our daily problems, even if only for a short but necessary time.”

She adds, “Fashion can have a huge influence on how we feel from day-to-day. We can be feeling a little bit down when we wake up to face the day, but things start to brighten up a little when we put on that fancy outfit, with the vibrant colours and a spectacular pair of heels.”

A new era