Celine Dion performs surprise show at Paris Fashion Week
The Quebec singer performed her song 'I'm Alive' at a L'Oréal event under the Eiffel Tower.
PARIS — Celine Dion performed a surprise show under the Eiffel Tower to kick off Paris Fashion Week.
The Quebec singer performed her 2002 song "I'm Alive" at the end of L'Oréal's annual fashion show on Sept. 28, wearing a ruched full-length black gown.
She was joined by the brand's ambassadors, including Simone Ashley, Eva Longoria, Viola Davis and Aja Naomi King.
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The performance comes four years after Dion was diagnosed with stiff person syndrome, a rare neurological disease.
The singer is in Paris for a comeback residency after a six-year hiatus due to health complications.
Another major moment at the fashion week, which runs until Oct. 6, belonged to the Canadian brand Matières Fécales.
The label, founded by LaSalle College alumni Hannah Rose Dalton and Steven Raj Bhaskaran, unveiled its spring/summer 2027 collection at the historic Place de la République.
The pair said on Instagram that Matières Fécales is the first brand ever to organize a fashion show in the square.
A total of 99 models of various ethnicities, genders, shapes and sizes circled the monument at the centre of the square.
Bhaskaran said the collection was about his experience growing up racialized and in poverty.
"I am part of the 99 per cent, and the visual world I’ve created with my partner Hannah is our manifesto of liberty," he said in the show's press release.
The show included family members of the designers and featured custom curved heels made in collaboration with Christian Louboutin.
Standout looks included Indian saris reimagined as ball gowns, animal-inspired feather bodices and wrap-dresses with babies in tow.
Fans of the brand spoke about its appeal before the show.
"I think they embody everything that a heteronormative society denies us. Authenticity and self-expression, that’s what it’s all about," said one fan from Vancouver, now based in Paris.
Another fan, from Kyiv and working at the UN, said, "Diversity. They are adding models from different cultures and religions. It’s very cool."
A trans girl from Romania said, "I love it so much. Gothic. Avant-garde. I’m a trans girl, so this is important to me to see the beauty in everything."
The opening day of fashion week also saw singer Rihanna model a copper two-piece at the Matières Fécales show, a label that inspired an angel wings dress worn by Zendaya earlier this summer.
Kendall Jenner and Cara Delevingne also walked in the show.
Other events included a Tiffany and M.A.D Musée des Arts Décoratifs showcase featuring Wicked star Cynthia Erivo.
Upcoming shows will feature labels including Tom Ford, Louis Vuitton, Givenchy, Jean Paul Gaultier, Schiaparelli, Balenciaga and Loewe.
Dior and Chanel are also expected to present, with both having appointed new artistic directors last year.
With files from The Globe and Mail and Ireland's Classic Hits Radio
Isabelle Moreau is the editor of Novello Desserts and writes about family life and everyday living in Canada. The editor signs off on corrections and editorial standards.