COMING OF AGE

Meet the ladies at the front and centre of this year's le Bal des Débutantes

- Julianna Cabili

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, 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, is made for a setting and has hosted the grand affair 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.