CLOSE TO YOU: Dior is giving the public a closer look at the outfits it created for performers at the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games, including the sparkling gown worn by Celine Dion for her triumphant comeback performance on the Eiffel Tower.
The looks donned by the Canadian singer, as well as Lady Gaga, Aya Nakamura and Axelle Saint-Cirel, went on display Wednesday at the Galerie Dior exhibition space at the French house’s historic flagship on Avenue Montaigne in Paris.
Maria Grazia Chiuri, artistic director of womenswear at Dior, designed the outfits, also dressing French singer Juliette Armanet and the choir that accompanied Saint-Cirel’s performance of the French national anthem on the roof of the Grand Palais.
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Dior belongs to luxury conglomerate LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, a premium partner of the 2024 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.
Dion’s sequined white silk georgette gown, trimmed with fringes covered in thousands of silver pearls, is on show in the section of the brand’s private exhibition space dedicated to its relationship with celebrities.
In the run-up to her first performance since being diagnosed with a rare disease called stiff person syndrome, Dion basked in the support of fans gathered in front of the Royal Monceau hotel.
She wore a number of Dior looks during her stay, including a black midi-length dress and an oversize tracksuit in the brand’s signature Oblique logo.
The performer had her last fitting at the Dior haute couture salons at 30 Avenue Montaigne two days before the opening ceremony between 11 p.m. and 2 a.m., surrounded by a dozen people from the house, including Dior Couture public relations director Mathilde Favier, who oversees celebrity relations.
Wearing her dress, which required more than 1,000 hours of work, she mimed to Édith Piaf’s “Hymne à l’amour” in front of the mirror, and the Dior crew all ended up in tears.
On display beside it is the short, asymmetric gold dress donned by French-Malian singer Aya Nakamura as she performed surrounded by the military band of the French Republican Guard. Echoing a look from Chiuri’s fall haute couture collection, it was hand-embroidered with gold feathers by the artisans of Maison Lemarié.
The two looks sit on either side of a reproduction of the navy slipdress with lace detailing that Princess Diana wore to the Met Gala in 1996.
Gaga’s outfit can be viewed in the room at La Galerie Dior dedicated to founder Christian Dior’s fascination with Paris.
The singer donned a black feather jacket and black satin bustier and panties, topped with a detachable skirt embroidered with pink and black feathers, to perform French cabaret performer Zizi Jeanmaire’s best-known song, “Mon truc en plumes.”
The first fitting for the look took place in Las Vegas and was delayed after the outfit apparently went missing in transit. In fact, it had just traveled from Paris by plane on a different flight than the one initially scheduled.
The Bal Dior room is where visitors can find Saint-Cirel’s draped dress that merged with the French flag she was holding.
“Carrying the flag of your country is powerful. It’s an incredible moment and it’s also unique in history,” the mezzo-soprano from the French Caribbean island of Guadeloupe said in a video posted to Dior’s social media platforms. After her performance in the driving rain, the singer broke down in tears, overwhelmed with emotion.
Full-price admission to La Galerie Dior, which tells the history of the house founded in 1947, costs 14 euros and visitors are advised to book online.