At first, there is the strapless dress in red velvet, that she wore in 1958 at her first show in Bobino (great music hall in Paris): it is her Hollywood fashion style period, where she incarnates the sophisticated femme fatale, on the stage and in everyday life. Jean Dessès, Jacques Estérel and Pierre Balmain were her favourite designers; she also selects herself her clothing for the day, with her own personal taste, like a true Parisienne.

As a successful singer, she quickly understood that each garment is a message : as of now, Balmain creates for her longer dresses in black or white, adapted to her deeper musical repertoire. In everyday life, Dalida adopted the electic mix of the 70s, influenced by the ethnic trends, the mythic Yves Saint-Laurent trouser suit, the trench coat or the safari jacket.

Everything was turned upside down in the 80s with the American-style shows, the blockbusters and the TV variety shows : unlike the theater, where the public can only see the singer front face, the TV shows allows the public to see from different angles. Dalida anticipated the trend by wearing strech costumes lit up by gloss and glitter, created by a theatrical costumer, to sing and dance at the same time.

« Dalida, une garde-robe de la ville à la scène » at the Palais Galliera, from April 27th to August 13th >>
Photos © Bridgeman Images / United Archives / Roba Archive / Max Schweigmann, Collection Palais Galliera - © Julien Vidal / Galliera / Roger-Viollet
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