Cover (From left) Debutantes Jasmine Yen, Barbara Berlingieri, Princess Lissie Selassie, Louisa Dub, Yvette Yao, Skye Wong, Lara Connor and Victoria Mestre Cisneros
(From left) Debutantes Jasmine Yen, Barbara Berlingieri, Princess Lissie Selassie, Louisa Dub, Yvette Yao, Skye Wong, Lara Connor and Victoria Mestre Cisneros
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Meet the ladies at the front and centre of this year's le Bal des Débutantes
At the centre of high society, where tradition is revered, and sophistication reigns supreme, les Bal des Débutantes is a glittering spectacle. Dubbed one of the most exclusive invites in the world, the illustrious event has graced the social calendars of the world’s elite for decades, providing a platform for their daughters to enter the world of adulthood.
An enchanted evening of elegance and tradition unfolded last November 25, 2023, as a double-door entrance into the ballroom of the Shangri-La Paris Hotel showcased several young ladies and their dashing cavaliers captivating onlookers, gowns swirling around the dance floor in dazzling bespoke couture. The hotel, located in the fashionable 16th arrondissement of Paris, has hosted the grand event since 2018.
Established in the 1990s, le Bal des Débutantes, often referred to simply as “le Bal”, is linked to the 18th-century English tradition of the debutante ball, wherein a young woman of newly marriageable age would present herself to the Queen, marking her formal entrance into refined society. The tradition has since evolved into a modernised affair.
No stranger to tradition, founder Ophélie Renouard restored this concept of a coming-out ball to raise funds for women’s charitable endeavours. The beneficiaries for the 2023 le Bal are World Central Kitchen, which provides meals to displaced and vulnerable communities, and ARCFA (the Association of Cardiology Research for the Necker-Enfants Malades Hospital), whose mission is rooted in caring for children suffering from heart defects. The event was sponsored by jewellery brand V Muse Treasure, whose magnificent pieces were loaned to the debutantes and hair salon Von Trentini.
More from Tatler: My Time is Now: Atasha Muhlach Attends the Prestigious Le Bal des Débutantes
Above Several of the illustrious debutantes pose in their chosen ballgowns for the evening
Several of the illustrious debutantes pose in their chosen ballgowns for the evening
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The road to le Bal is a journey marked by meticulous selection and preparation. Debutantes are selected approximately a year in advance. Arduous ceremony preparation extends to every detail, from choosing the perfect couture gown to mastering the arts of dance
and conversation.
While le Bal remains deeply rooted in tradition, it has evolved with the winds of change. The event has grown to reflect contemporary values, with a greater emphasis on inclusivity and diversity. This year’s roster includes six Asian women: Jasmine Yen, Skye Wong, Advaitesha Birla, Hannah B Husain, Yvette Yao and Roxie Zhao.
Over the years, le Bal has also welcomed local Filipino personalities such as Atasha Muhlach, Rocio Zobel, Dominique Cojuangco and Paloma Urquijo, among others. Tatler Philippines is proud to be a part of this event since 2011. However, we didn’t have a deb this year but 2024 promises to be hopeful.
Read more: Belle of the Ball: Atasha Muhlach Participates at the 2022 le Bal des Débutantes in Paris
Yen, daughter of Hong Kong actor and filmmaker Donnie Yen, is a musician whose skills were honed at the prestigious Berklee College of Music. Her debut single, Idk, amassed over 100 thousand views on YouTube and 1 million on Weibo. Escorted by her brother James, Yen dazzled the room in custom Georges Hobeika Haute Couture. Joining her from Hong Kong is banking heiress Wong, now in her second year at St John’s College at the University of Cambridge, wearing Vivienne Westwood and arm-in-arm with her cavalier, Count Ivan de Poligny. The Hong Kong contingent also includes Yao, whose grandmother, Alice King, established one of the first contemporary art galleries in the region. The sports-savvy Zhao is the daughter of artist Wang Yi and Zhao Yan, who chairs Hong Kong’s Bloomage Biotechnology.
Above (From left) Advaitesha Birla, Yvette Yao, Princess Lissie Selassie and Skye Wong
Above (From left) Olivia Ford Uzielli, Lara Connor, Hannah Husain, Louisa Dub and Ella McCaw pose in front of the glimmering Eiffel tower
(From left) Advaitesha Birla, Yvette Yao, Princess Lissie Selassie and Skye Wong
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Birla, whose surname is shared with one of India’s oldest business families, is pursuing a degree in psychology at University College London. Meanwhile, Husain, decked out in Elie Saab, comes from a lineage of politics and diplomacy, with relatives who served as ambassadors and a grandfather who founded the Unionist Party in India.
In case you missed it: Meet the shining young women at this year’s le Bal des Debutantes
Honor d’Andlau-Hombourg of France, daughter of the Count and Countess d’Andlau-Hombourg, wore a pair of diamond earrings which belonged to Marie Thérèse de Savoy, Duchess of Parma. Dressed in Stéphane Rolland, she was escorted by her brother Darius. Hailing from Normandy is Eden Leprevost Blin-Lebreton, who joins the festivities in a gown by Belgian couturier Natan.
American model Louisa Dub wore Ralph Lauren, joined by Ethan Zhang, son of director Zhang Yimou, as her cavalier. Dub signed with the lucrative agency NEXT Models in 2022 and will be expected to graduate from George Washington University in 2026. The rest of the New World royalty includes Olivia Ford Uzielli, a three-times great granddaughter of motor industrialist Henry Ford, dressed in Oscar de la Renta. Lara Connor is the daughter of prominent journalist Marina Rust Connor. Southern Belle Elizabeth “Liza” Webster appears as a vision in a Guo Pei dress and is escorted by her brother William.
Ella McCaw, seen on the arm of Lord Archie Campbell, Marquess of Lorne, is a model equestrian and a student from the University of Virginia. Donning a spectacular Antonio Grimaldi gown is Victoria Mestre Cisneros, granddaughter of Ella Fontanals Cisneros, one of the most recognised art collectors in the world. Cisneros studies communication and marketing at the University of Miami.
(From left) Jasmine Yen, Advaitesha Birla, Princess Lissie Selassie and Yvette Yao
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Talitha Stern, a vision in Dior and accompanied by Don Vittorio Ruffo di Calabria, comes from a long line of English bankers. Princess Lissie Selassie is the great-granddaughter of Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia and is joined by Harper Peck, grandson of Hollywood legend Gregory Peck. The Venetian Marchioness Barbara Berlingieri, a business administration student at Spain’s University of Segovia, is dressed by Giambattista Valli. Anya Embiricos, at only 19 years old, hails from one of Greece’s oldest shipping families. The family of Archduchess Ildiko von Habsburg-Lothringen can trace its roots back to the tenth century. In 2023, she is seen in a haute couture Alexis Mabille gown alongside Prince Constantin of Orléans.
Countess Lara-Cosima Henckel von Donnersmark opened the ball with a dance with her father, Oscar-winning film director Count Florian Henckel von Donnersmark. She appeared in a silver Jean Paul Gaultier gown with a diamond tiara by Guillot.
Jasmine Yen
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This year, there was a delightful twist to the festivities with musical performances by two talented debutantes. Angelina Jordan, a singer from Norway who was a contestant in Norway’s Got Talent, mesmerised the crowd with a rendition of Elvis Presley’s Can’t Help Falling in Love. Meanwhile, Yen showcased her musical prowess with an original song that set the stage for a night filled with lively dancing.
Le Bal is more than a social event. It is a celebration of grace, charity and tradition—the culmination of months of preparation but the beginning of several girls’ journeys into womanhood. As the doors close on another year’s spectacle, the echoes of conversation, the flurry of gowns, and the waltz’s romance linger in the air.
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Credits
Images: Daniel Paik
About
Julianna has been interested in leading a literary life since she first read Frances Hodgson Burnett's A Little Princess at eight. Before working with Tatler, she was an archive intern at The Center for Fiction in Brooklyn, New York. She is a textbook Pisces who devotes most of her spare time to her crochet projects, watching classic films, and going through her never-ending pile of unread books. She studied creative writing, global literature and art history at Sarah Lawrence College, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 2022. Toni Morrison, Nora Ephron, Clarice Lispector and Jia Tolentino are among her all-time favourite writers.
Work
Julianna writes about fashion, beauty, sustainability, and the arts. She is always keen on conducting interviews with talented women who are changing the game in their respective fields.
For event invites and story leads, hit her up at julianna.cabili@tatlerasia.com
