Céline Dion’s Chanel Look Nods to Her 1997 Oscars Dress—and Took 1,380 Hours to Make
Photo: Courtesy of Chanel
Last month, Celine Dion made her glorious return to the stage in Paris, following a years-long private battle with stiff-person syndrome (SPS). And what a return it was: The iconic French Canadian singer has been hitting the stage at the Plenitude Arena in Nanterre, France, exiting her hotel before each performance wearing a different high-fashion look, and then hitting the stage in similarly buzzy outfits, including custom Dior and Givenchy, among others.
This evening, however, Dion closed out her final week of shows (until May 2027, when she picks the tour back up) on an even more fabulous fashion note: The star opened her concert tonight wearing a custom Chanel dress that was inspired by the glitzy gown she wore back at the 1997 Oscars.
Back at the ’97 awards show, Dion made history when she became the first artist to perform twice during the same Oscars ceremony. (She sang her own hit “Because You Loved Me,” and a cover of Barbara Streisand’s “I Finally Found Someone.”) The star did so in a glitzy, silver plunging Chanel gown and comet-style necklace from Chanel, designed by Karl Lagerfeld, the brand’s designer at the time.
Almost three decades later, Dion’s shimmering frock still feels glamorous and timeless—so it made perfect sense for the star to revive it in a new way at her tour tonight. To update the original design, from the spring 1997 couture collection, current Chanel designer Matthieu Blazy added his own touches to the silhouetteSilhouetteThe overall outline or shape of a garment or look, such as A-line, column, or hourglass. Silhouette defines the first visual impression of an outfit and is often the mostGo to Silhouette Glossary—reworking it with a sweetheart neckline and a more structured shape.
The house used an embroidered muslin, which encased a padded and corseted toile bustier. The neckline was detailed in raffia, and the whole piece was finished with glass crystal rhinestones, seed beads, and glass beads. The design was handcrafted at the 31 Rue Cambon ateliers in Paris. Overall, 6,000 jewels and 5,000 beads were used on the entire look, and it required over 1,380 hours of work.
To top it off, a High Jewelry necklace was also re-created, a nod to the original Chanel necklace that Dion wore back on the 1997 Oscars red carpet. Referencing the starry design of the dress, Dion wore a new comète necklace made of platinum, 18-karat white gold, and 1,080 diamonds that totaled more than 67 carats. According to Chanel, the piece is an emblematic 1932 design from Gabrielle Chanel’s only High Jewelry collection, titled Bijoux de Diamants.
It’s all such a total fashion flex. Referencing your own past red-carpet look to re-create? Now, that’s true iconIconA figure whose personal style is influential, memorable, and enduring, shaping how generations dress and think about beauty. Style icons range from actors and musicians to designers and models, andGo to Icon Glossary status!
This article was originally published on Vogue.com.
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Christian Allaire
Christian Allaire is a Canadian freelance writer, editor, and stylist who is based in New York. He currently serves as the senior fashion and style writer at American Vogue. He formerly served as a fashion editor at Footwear News. His work has appeared in other publications including Elle, Mr. Porter, Hazlitt, Refinery 29 & more. In 2021, he became a published author when his book called "The Power of Style" was released. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from Ryerson University where he studied journalism.
- Topics:
- 1997 Oscars
- Celine Dion
- Chanel