At a moment when it is standard, if not expected, that pop stars will change outfits half a dozen times during live performances, Adele is turning the status quo on its head. Rather than go through the gamut of wardrobe changes, the British icon’s world tour (whose U.S. leg starts July 5) has been defined by a single pair of flats and just one sparkling, Christopher Bailey-designed Burberry gown -- one that quite a lot of work went into.
Stylist Gaelle Paul, a Brit based in Los Angeles who has been working with the singer for the last seven years, met with Burberry (which is also a sponsor of the tour) in September 2015. The brand readied “a mountain of sketches,” recalls the 42-year-old. “We talked about cloaks, detachable skirts, anything you could want to explore as a possibility.” But after the Adele: Live in New York City performance aired on NBC last December, where the singer wore a glittering black and gold Jenny Packham gown for the entire concert, Paul says the focus shifted to creating “one great dress that went the extra mile and that really wowed.”