In December, the annual Parisian debutante ball, Le Bal, ostensibly launches the profiles of 20 young, promising women from all around the world
Held in the mirrored and gilded historic ballroom of the Shangri-La Hotel, the former 19th Century residence of Prince Roland Bonaparte, past Le Bals have featured old-world names like Taittinger, Mountbatten and Windsor, and scions of business magnates and the offspring of Hollywood royalty, such as Lily Collins, and Ava Phillippe, the daughter of actress Reese Witherspoon. The debutantes make their entrance wearing breathtaking, floor-length haute-couture creations.
While it may seem like it is from another time, Le Bal was only launched in 1994 by the French PR Ophélie Renouard, primarily with a philanthropic purpose—to help young women in need. The organisation has a longstanding relationship with two charities, the New York-based Seleni Institute, which focuses on supporting the mental health of teenage mothers, and Enfants d’Asie, which promotes the education of girls in Southeast Asia. Entrance to the event cannot be purchased—young women have to be invited to take part. “You can’t buy your way in, you have to be asked,” says Renouard, who takes great care in curating the list of attendees each year, partly to ensure diversity.
See also: 10 Exclusive High Society Galas Of The World To Know
Strong Connections
Of course, these women need little help making their entrance into society. All are well-travelled and well-connected, and Renouard admits she doesn’t even need to make introductions within the group, who are all staying at the hotel in the lead-up to the event and have become fast friends. “We posted photos of them all on our Instagram. We don’t put their last names, but they found each other and created a WhatsApp group,” she says.
Making life-long friends is a big part of the draw of Le Bal. “A close friend of mine had done this before and is still meeting up with the other girls all over the world,” says Shanaya Kapoor, the 20-year-old daughter of the legendary Bollywood actor and producer Sanjay Kapoor. Kapoor, well on her way to becoming an actress herself, has chosen a scarlet red ruffled gown by the Indian couturier Lecoanet Hemant for the occasion and is in her element. “I am so excited!” she says as she settles into the makeup chair.
“Before coming here, I had a different idea in my head, but it’s been way more relaxed,” says Kayla Rockefeller, 20, the first member of the New York-based Rockefeller family to take part in the event. “Everyone is just having fun and all the girls I have met so far are very sweet, very nice.”
Rockefeller is currently studying marketing at Tulane University in New Orleans, though she has plans to return to New York to work in sustainable fashion. “I try to be very vigilant, and do the little things for the environment,” says Rockefeller. As a member of American royalty, she chose a strapless red tulle gown by Manhattan-based designer Gilles Mendel, whose brand J. Mendel has long been associated with uptown elegance. “I’m 5’9” and he does great dresses for tall girls,” she says.