Céline Dion wears Alaïa and Tom Ford in Paris ahead of her Plénitude Arena residency
Three stylists, two looks in the space of a few days, and a sold-out concert hall: Céline Dion‘s return to Paris in 2026 is playing out as much on the streets of the capital as it will on stage. Even before the spotlights of the Plénitude Arena are switched on, the Quebec singer has already turned the area around her hotel into a full-blown fashion parade.
A Parisian comeback meticulously planned
It is at the Royal Monceau, the palace hotel in the 16th arrondissement, that Céline Dion checked in as early as 28 August 2026. The choice is no accident: the singer wanted to arrive ahead of time to rehearse and fine-tune her performances before the residency begins. This major return to the stage comes after six years away, marked first by the pandemic and then by stiff-person syndrome, which kept her out of the spotlight.
The Plénitude Arena in Nanterre will host more than fifteen dates, running from 12 September to 17 October, all of them sold out. A second leg is already scheduled for May 2027, with ten additional shows. The scale of the event explains why her entire team has been mobilising for months, not least on the wardrobe front.
Alaïa, Tom Ford: the first looks set the tone
From the moment she arrived from Le Bourget airport, the singer made an immediate statement. She wore a head-to-toe Alaïa ensemble: a beige trench coat with flared, asymmetric panels from Pieter Mulier’s final collection for the house, paired with black T-bar heels and thick-framed aviator sunglasses.
Three days later, on 31 August, a second high-profile outing confirmed the stylistic ambition of her comeback. This time, Céline Dion wore pieces by Haider Ackermann for Tom Ford from the autumn-winter 2026-2027 collection: a croc-effect leather jacket matched with stiletto-heeled thigh-high boots and a black clutch, black pleated Bermuda shorts, and butterfly-frame sunglasses. Both silhouettes, far removed from grand gala gowns, could easily hold their own in any contemporary Parisian wardrobe.
A source quoted by Us Weekly last April summed up the artist’s mindset: she wants carefully considered haute couture outfits, but above all a strong emotional connection with her audience. The question remains open: will her stage costumes echo the exuberance of the Las Vegas shows, or will they lean towards a more restrained elegance?
Annie Horth, the loyal architect of her image
Behind these first two Parisian looks is Annie Horth, the singer’s long-standing stylist and artistic adviser. Their collaboration began in 2007, several years after they first met. A fashion design graduate who went on to work at ELLE Canada, this fellow Quebecer has profoundly reshaped the artist’s image. Her work spans stage looks, album covers, advertising campaigns, and red-carpet outfits.
Her address book includes houses such as Armani Privé, Elie Saab, Alexandre Vauthier, Givenchy, Prada, Versace, Chanel, and above all Balmain. That last house holds a special place: Céline Dion wore the entirety of Balmain’s autumn-winter 2012-2013 collection to promote her album Sans attendre. Annie Horth won the CAFA Stylist of the Year award in 2016. She has described planning the singer’s stage wardrobe as the equivalent of open-heart surgery, such is the level of precision required.
Their collaboration did, however, lose momentum in the mid-2010s, with Annie Horth stepping aside to make way for a new profile, one who came from Chicago.
Law Roach and Malina Joseph Gilchrist: two complementary visions
In 2016, Law Roach took over. Originally from Chicago, this stylist defines himself as an image architect, an approach that goes beyond simply choosing clothes to encompass the overall creative direction of his clients. His roster includes Zendaya, Kanye West, Ariana Grande, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Hunter Schafer.
Their first meeting at the Billboard Music Awards proved decisive. Law Roach then brought Céline Dion to Paris Fashion Week, where he encouraged her to explore uncharted territory: streetwear pieces, oversized volumes, avant-garde designers. The resulting look, built around a Vetements Titanic sweatshirt worn with ripped skinny jeans and gold Gucci heels, went instantly viral. In 2024, when the singer made her media comeback at the Grammy Awards, it was he who chose her draped powder-pink chiffon evening gown, half-covered by a thick burnt-orange wool coat, both from Valentino’s spring-summer 2024 haute couture collection. He also styled her covers for Vogue Paris around the same time.
- Annie Horth: collaborating since 2007, specialist in stage looks and red-carpet appearances, CAFA Stylist of the Year 2016
- Law Roach: on board since 2016, known for his theatrical and avant-garde choices, creative director of her image
- Malina Joseph Gilchrist: New York-based stylist, styled the Harper’s Bazaar September cover shoot featuring Saint Laurent, Gucci, and Bvlgari jewellery
- Annie Horth and Law Roach are working together on the upcoming shows, according to their respective Instagram accounts
The third stylist in the trio, Malina Joseph Gilchrist, brings a resolutely glamorous touch. Based in New York, she dressed the singer for the September cover of Harper’s Bazaar, combining Saint Laurent lace, Gucci sequins, and Bvlgari jewellery. Annie Horth has also given a nod to her colleague by highlighting the artist’s official poster. As for the exact contents of the stage costumes, the mystery remains entirely intact. Annie Horth has nonetheless told the magazine that the show will be spectacular.
