Template:Infobox recurring event
Le Bal des Débutantes, also known simply as "le Bal" (or, previously, the "Crillon Ball"), is a debutante ball and fashion event held annually in November in Paris, bringing together between 20 and 25 debutantes aged 16 to 22 from many countries, together with their parents and a similar number of young men. It started as a social event and was first held in the Orangery of the Château de Versailles on 10 July 1958.Template:R
History
The ball was started as a social event, and was first held in the Orangery of the Château de Versailles on 10 July 1958. There were fifty debutantes; all were American.Template:R For the ball of 1959, permission to use the Orangery came from André Malraux; the event was financed by the fashion and perfume houses of Paris. A hundred and fifty young women took part.Template:R The event was not held in 1968 due to the May 68 worker uprising in France, and was subsequently not held for several decades.[1]
The ball was revived in 1992, organised by Ophélie Renouard as a fashion event by invitation.[2][3][4][5][6] From 1992 to 2012, it took place every year at the Hôtel de Crillon,[7][8] and thus was often called the "Crillon Ball". It is now sometimes referred to simply as "le Bal".[9]
In 2005, Forbes described the ball as one of the world's ten "hottest parties".[10]
Le Bal took place in 2013 and 2014 at Hôtel Raphael [11] and in 2015 was held in the Palais de Chaillot, which overlooks the Eiffel Tower.[12] Le Bal was held at The Peninsula Paris in 2016 and 2017,[13] and in 2018 and 2019 at the Shangri La Hotel in Paris.
From the beginning the event has raised money for charities.[14][15] From 2009 to 2019, it supported Enfants d'Asie, an organization which provides education for girls in Southeast Asia.[16] And from 2009 to 2019, it also supported Seleni, a non-profit organisation that finances research in healthcare for adolescent mothers.[3] In 2022, it supported the ARCFA (Association pour la Recherche en Cardiologie du Fœtus à l'Adulte) of the Necker Children's Hospital and the World Central Kitchen.[17]
Participants
The criteria for invitation as a débutante are an attractive appearance,[7][18] intelligence, and famous parents.[7][19] The débutantes often come from families known in entertainment, business, or politics.[20]
As le Bal is also a couture event, the gowns are fashion show dresses and le Bal's team endeavors to find the most suitable ones.[7]
From 2000 to 2003, le Bal welcomed a winner from a contest held by the French magazine Jalouse each year. Each one was chosen based on a submitted application.[21]
The majority of the participants must familiarize themselves with wearing haute couture dresses, trading common teen fashion items for "heels, tiaras and haute couture gowns worth up to £30,000 each".[22][7]
In interviews, the débutantes usually speak of the pleasure of wearing couture dresses, the charity aspect of the event,[16] and the opportunity to meet girls from different countries.[23][24]
Each débutante is escorted by a cavalier. He may be by a young man of her own choosing, such as a brother, cousin, friend, or boyfriend. However, nearly half of the débutantes, particularly those travelling from abroad, don't bring their own cavaliers; they rely instead on the organizers of le Bal to find a cavalier.[25] The organizer, Renouard, has stated that choosing the cavaliers based on their ages, the language they speak, their heights, and possibly their backgrounds usually produces an optimal match for the débutantes.[26]
Le Bal tries their best to not have more than two French girls every year. Many débutantes are part of the European aristocracy, including princesses and duchesses.[27] Ophélie Renouard says she favors Italian girls for their sophisticated look.[28]
Many others are daughters of actors and industry tycoons, such as Ava Philippe, Jane Li, Annabel Yao, Stella Belmondo, True Whitaker, Ella Beatty, Viola Mikkelsen, Sophia-Rose Stallone, Scout LaRue, Ondine and Harper Peck, and Natasha Connery. Others are famous in their own right, such as ballerinas and young prodigies: a few years ago, Lauren Marbe, the daughter of a cab driver in the UK whose IQ exceeded Einstein’s, and in 2015, Olivia Hallisey, an American high schooler who won the first prize of the Google Science Fair for inventing a test for the Ebola virus.[29] In 2022 Eileen Gu attended le Bal[30] after winning two gold medals at the 2022 Winter Olympics.[31]
Character
The ball introduces the world of high fashion to its invited débutantes, who are usually the daughters of well-known families. It can also be seen as an opportunity for fashion houses to achieve brand exposure.[26][32]
The young women wear haute couture dresses by European designers[33] and overseas fashion houses. They all wear jewelry from the same jeweler.[34] Some couture houses have produced special ball gowns for the event. In 2003, Carolina Herrera made one for Diana Mellon, and in 2014 Danish designer Jesper Hovring made a dress for Viola Mikkelsen.[35] In 2018, the Indo-French fashion house Lecoanet Hemant made a gown for Princess Ananya Raje Scindia of Gwalior.[36] Jet Li's daughter Jane Li was dressed by Dior in 2019.[37]
In 2008, French actor Jean Rochefort's daughter Clémence made her debut wearing a Nina Ricci ball gown.[38] Anna Cleveland van Ravenstein, on the other hand, had been modeling for Chanel for years before "Uncle" Karl Lagerfeld helped her to pick out a vintage gown for le Bal.[39]
The ball takes place on a Saturday, but preparations include meeting the débutantes, their families and their cavaliers in advance.[40]
On the eve of le Bal, a Friday, the débutantes come together for the first time. Makeup and hair styling sessions start at 9:00am: with By Terry for makeup[41] and with Alexandre de Paris for hair.[42] After this, the débutantes put on their dresses, long gloves, shoes,[19] and jewels, and there are individual and group photo sessions[43] which last for the rest of the day.[40] On Friday evening, the débutantes' fathers and cavaliers are offered a waltz class with two dance teachers.[40]
The débutantes are introduced in alphabetical order on the arms of their cavaliers[40] by journalist and author Stéphane Bern.[44] Then the dinner is served.[22] After dinner, the débutantes who are the most followed by the media open le Bal, followed by all of the fathers with their daughters.[22][45]
Opening dance
Each year since 2005, there has been a débutante who opens the dancing with a waltz.[46]
- 2005: Bianca Brandolini d'Adda with the master of ceremony, Prince Charles-Philippe d'Orléans[47]
- 2006: Xiaodan Chen with Stéphane Bern[48][49]
- 2007: Maria Abou Nader with Stéphane Bern[50]
- 2008: Bruce Willis and Alain Delon launched le Bal together, leading Scout Larue Willis in Lacroix Haute Couture and Anouchka Delon in Elie Saab Haute Couture, with the waltz from Luchino Visconti's film Il Gattopardo[51]
- 2009: Autumn Whitaker with Forest Whitaker, and Jasmine Li with Stéphane Bern[52]
- 2011: Tallulah Willis with Bruce WillisTemplate:Citation needed
- 2012: Sophia Rose Stallone in Elie Saab Haute Couture with Sylvester Stallone[53]
- 2014: Princess Elizabeth of Bourbon-Parma in Alexis Mabille Haute Couture with Prince Charles-Emmanuel of Bourbon-Parma[34][54]
- 2015: Iman Perez with Vincent Perez[55][56] and Countess Gloria de Limburg-Stirum with Count Thierry de Limburg-Stirum[56]
- 2016: Countess Angélique de Limburg-Stirum and her father Thierry de Limburg-Stirum opened the ball,[57] followed by Yu Hang[58] and Elle Beatty.Template:Citation needed
- 2017: Ava Philippe in Giambattista Valli haute couture danced with her escort, Maharaja Padmanabh Singh of Jaipur. The two danced to a song from the film La La Land.[59]
- 2018: True Whitaker and her father Forest Whitaker opened le Bal, along with then Annabel Yao and her cavalier Jean de Croÿ-Solre and Gabrielle de Pourtalès and Stéphane Bern.Template:Citation needed
- 2019: French actor Jean-Paul Belmondo's daughter Stella Belmondo opened le Bal with Stéphane Bern,[60] followed by Shanaya Kapoor[61] and Iglesias twins Victoria and Cristina.Template:Citation needed
- 2022: The French Royal Princess Hélène of Orléans opened le Bal with her father the Duke of Chartres, followed by Wenhao Cai and her father the Chinese artist Cai Guo-Qiang and Leah Behn, the daughter of the Royal Princess Martha Louise of Norway, and Stéphane Bern.[62]
This opening dance is followed by a waltz with all of the fathers and débutantes. The fathers then cede their daughters to the cavaliers, and the waltz is replaced with contemporary music with a live band. The debs then return their dresses and their jewels. The débutantes and their cavaliers finish the evening out clubbing.[63]
Media coverage
Coverage often emphasizes the cachet of the event and its elegance.[64] It has been claimed that "Le Bal has really maintained its exclusivity; all the top designers participate, and there have never been any sleazy photographs of the débutantes."[65]
References
- ↑ How to Be a Debutante in the Age of Netflix and Google Searches. WWD.
- ↑ Social Diary 1/4/06 – Social Safari in Paris, France. www.newyorksocialdiary.com.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Le Bal des Débutantes 2015 perpétue la tradition. www.journaldesfemmes.com(27 November 2015).
- ↑ Template:Cite magazine
- ↑ Template:Cite magazine
- ↑ New elite come out. Telegraph.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 [{{{url}}} Fairy Godmother to the New Debs]. The Daily Telegraph.
- ↑ [{{{url}}} L'officiel de la mode]. En coulisse du Bal des Débutantes(1 December 2014).
- ↑ Sabrina Meng Wanzhou and Annabel Yao: Huawei founder's two daughters. South China Morning Post.
- ↑ World's Hottest Parties. Forbes.
- ↑ Bal des débutantes – Le premier pas.
- ↑ Invitation-only debutante ball in Paris summons 25 ladies to have le Bal. The Age. Retrieved 2015-11-18.
- ↑ Presentation. Retrieved 2016-07-17.
- ↑ Le Bal 2018: Inside the 25th Edition of Bal des Débutantes.
- ↑ Bal des débutantes – Kyra Kennedy. Une américaine à Paris.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 The Ball Issue: Making her Debut. Philippine Tatler.
- ↑ Bal des débutantes 2022 : les plus belles photos d'une soirée hors du temps. Madame Figaro. Retrieved 2023-03-17.
- ↑ [{{{url}}} El baile del año]. El Mundo(24 November 2007).
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 Bal des débutantes – 25 jeunes filles du monde qui font rêver.
- ↑ Arrest of Huawei 'heiress' throws rare spotlight on family. Reuters.
- ↑ Jalouse – n°52 de 2002 – page 1 – Cendrillon sans les larmes un deux trois participez au bal des. patrimoine.editionsjalou.com.
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 Le Bal des Débutantes les fait tous rêver. Aujourd'hui en France.
- ↑ Vogue Flash Moment: Having a Ball. Vogue.
- ↑ Froufrou au Bal des débutantes, Morosi, Marie-Christine(25 November 2011).
- ↑ Beatty, Belmondo, Mountbatten : la relève tourbillonne au bal des débutantes – People – MYTF1News. MYTF1NEWS.
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 Exclusive: An insider's view to the annual Bal des Débutantes in Paris. Malaysia Tatler.
- ↑ Bal des débutantes 2019 : Trois princesses y participeront cette année : Cavaliers, couturiers, liste des débutantes(24 November 2019).
- ↑ "Je les contacte l'année de leurs 16 ans" : Dans le secret du Bal des débutantes(28 November 2019).
- ↑ Bal des débutantes : Qui sont les "debs" 2018 ?(23 November 2018).
- ↑ I went to Le Bal des Débutantes, where kids of Hollywood legends, royals, and business moguls make their high-society debut. It was a night full of glamour I'll never forget., Noyen, Maria. Insider. Retrieved 2023-03-17.
- ↑ Chinese Olympian Eileen Gu working for Salt Lake Games bid. AP NEWS. Retrieved 2023-03-17.
- ↑ [{{{url}}} International Herald Tribune]. Haute Couture and the Upper Crust(23 November 1993).
- ↑ [{{{url}}} Paris Match]. Les Plus Belles Débutantes du Monde(1992).
- ↑ 34.0 34.1 Le Bal des débutantes, haute société et haute couture. Madame Figaro(30 November 2014).
- ↑ En coulisses du Bal des débutantes – L'officiel de la mode.
- ↑ A waltz for a night, Dey, Sohini. Mint. Retrieved 2018-12-14.
- ↑ Was it for me? Jet Li's daughter Jane Li on debutantes' ball. South China Morning Post. Retrieved 2020-02-20.
- ↑ [{{{url}}} Le Figaro]. Le Grand Retour du Bal des Débutantes(26 November 2011).
- ↑ Exclusive: An insider's view to the annual Bal des Débutantes in Paris. Malaysia Tatler.
- ↑ 40.0 40.1 40.2 40.3 [{{{url}}} Swishly Ballroom]. The Sunday Times(8 January 2012).
- ↑ PHOTOS - Exclusif - Illustrations - Débutantes à l'hôtel Shangri-La Hotel, Paris - Le Bal 2018, vingt-sixième édition - Paris, le 24 novembre 2018 © Le Bal / Borde-Jacov. purepeople.com. Retrieved 2018-12-14.
- ↑ So you wanna look like a debutante? M.A.C takes us behind the scenes at the Crillon Ball in Paris. FASHION Magazine(7 December 2011).
- ↑ The Woman Who Reshaped High Society. You.
- ↑ J'y étais ... au Bal des débutantes. Elle.
- ↑ Un casting de rêve. Point de Vue.
- ↑ Template:Cite magazine
- ↑ Paillettes et jeunes filles en fleur au bal des débutantes. leparisien.fr(26 November 2005).
- ↑ Lady in Red: 'Princess' Chen Xiaodan casts a mysterious spell｜WCT.
- ↑ Heirs of Mao's Comrades Rise as New Capitalist Nobility. Bloomberg.com(26 December 2012).
- ↑ Stéphane Bern ouvre le bal – Les débutantes entrent dans la danse sur Journal des Femmes People. www.journaldesfemmes.com.
- ↑ Anouchka Delon – La biographie de Anouchka Delon avec Gala.fr. Gala.fr.
- ↑ EXCLU : Regardez le magnifique et féérique Bal des débutantes... avec un débutant "fils de" !. www.purepeople.com.
- ↑ Le Bal des Débutantes in Paris – Vogue.it. www.vogue.it.
- ↑ Bienvenue au Bal des Débutantes. Le Journal des Femmes.
- ↑ Le bal des Débutantes : Iman, la sublime fille de Vincent Perez fait sensation. www.puretrend.com.
- ↑ 56.0 56.1 La photo souvenir des vingt participantes du Bal des débutantes de Paris. leparisien.fr(28 November 2015).
- ↑ PHOTOS - La comtesse Angélique de Limburg-Stirum (robe Georges Hobeika) et son père le comte Thierry de Limburg-Stirum - Le Bal - Vingt-quatrième édition du Bal à l'hôte. www.purepeople.com. Retrieved 2020-02-20.
- ↑ PHOTOS - Invités et familles - Yu Hang (robe Alexander McQueen) et Luís Figo - Vingt-quatrième édition du Bal à l'hôtel Peninsula à Paris, le 26 novembre 2016. Les début. www.purepeople.com. Retrieved 2020-02-20.
- ↑ Ava Phillippe Dazzles in Paris Debutante Debut. Peoplemag.
- ↑ En vidéo, Stella Belmondo et Stéphane Bern ouvrent le Bal des débutantes sur le "Beau Danube bleu", Figaro, Madame. Madame Figaro. Retrieved 2020-02-20.
- ↑ Shanaya Kapoor's Cinderella moment at the exclusive debutante ball in Paris, Le Bal. Vogue India. Retrieved 2020-02-20.
- ↑ Natasha Connery, Hélène d'Orléans, Eileen Gu... Qui sont les débutantes du Bal 2022 ?. Madame Figaro. Retrieved 2023-03-17.
- ↑ [{{{url}}} Figaro Madame]. Bal des Débutantes : J'y étais(25 November 2012).
- ↑ [{{{url}}} Folha de S.Paulo]. Cinderela em Paris(7 December 2008).
- ↑ [{{{url}}} Philippine Tatler]. The Ball Issue: Having a Ball(February 2010).