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Bal des débutantes

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Vanity Fair photo shoot with the 2011 Debs

le Bal des Débutantes in Paris, also known simply as le Bal (and, previously, the Crillon Ball), is a fashion event held annually in November that brings together 20-25 girls aged 16 to 22 from about a dozen countries.

It was created by Ophélie Renouard on September 27, 1992.[1][2][3][4] The young women don gowns from haute couture and couture designers,[5] as well as foreign fashion houses. They all wear jewelry from the same jeweler.[6][7][8] The débutantes usually come from famous families, known for the contributions to arts, politics, business, and more.[9] Money is not a criterion for selection.[9]

The event raises money for one or more charity organizations while celebrating the French way of life.[10] Since 2009, le Bal has supported Enfants d'Asie, which provides education for girls in Southeast Asia.[11] In 2015 it also supported Seleni, a non-profit that finances research in healthcare for adolescent mothers.[2]

In 2005, Forbes cited it as one of the world's 10 hottest parties.[12]

Fashion houses

In 1993 the International Herald Tribune stated that "the show itself was central casting's idea of Paris couture – all unswept Carita chignons, solid makeup and the girls plodding out in drop-dead gowns. Yet all seemed as thrilled as Cinderella that someone had waved a mascara wand to give them old-fashioned glamour."[13]

For many of the débutantes, le Bal is their introduction to the world of high fashion.[14] For example, in 2008, French actor Jean Rochefort's daughter Clémence, who wore Nina Ricci, said that it was her first time in haute couture.[15] Anna Cleveland van Ravenstein, on the other hand, had been modeling for Chanel for years before "Uncle Karl [Lagerfeld]" helped her pick out a vintage gown for le Bal.[14]

Some couture houses have produced special gowns for the event, for instance Carolina Herrera in 2003 for Diana Mellon, and, in 2014, Danish designer Jesper Hovring for Viola Mikkelsen.[16]

Events

Deb Sokhna N'dour dressing for le Bal in 2008

Planning and preparations include inviting the débutantes and their cavaliers, meetings with the debs and their families,.[17]

The débutantes and their families spend Thanksgiving weekend in Paris in the hotel of le Bal, the Hôtel de Crillon,.[18][19] While the Hôtel de Crillon is closed for renovations,[20] the weekend's events have been held in another hotel and le Bal itself takes place in a separate location. The Hôtel Raphael was the hotel of le Bal in 2013 and 2014.[21] Le Bal was held in the Palais de Chaillot in 2015, overlooking the Eiffel Tower.[20]

Friday, or the eve of le Bal, is when the débutantes come together for the first time. The makeup and hair styling sessions start at 9:00am. Then the débutantes don their dresses, shoes,[22] and jewels, and the individual and group photo sessions[23] last for the rest of the day.[17] On Friday evening, the débutantes’ fathers and cavaliers take part in a waltz class with two teachers.[17]

The debutants have sessions with M.A.C. Cosmetics for makeup and Alexandre de Paris for hair.[24][25]

Debs dance and talk at the 2009 Ball at the Hôtel de Crillon.

The débutantes are introduced in alphabetical order on the arms of their cavaliers[17] by journalist and author Stéphane Bern.[26] Then the dinner is served.[27] After dinner, the débutantes who are the most followed by the media open le Bal, followed by all of the fathers with their daughters.[27][28]

Opening dance

Each year since 2005, there has been a débutante who opens the dancing with a waltz, led by her father or the evening's MC:

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.[47]

The debutantes

The criteria for invitation are looks,[18][48] brains, and famous parents.[18][22] Also taken into consideration is the personality of each one, and whether she would make an exceptional débutante about whom a story can be told.[22] Parismatch states that "spoiled" children are not accepted.[22]

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.[18]

Some debutantes belong to royal and aristocratic families; some are the daughters of artists, writers, business people and politicians. Others are invited for what they have already accomplished, such as in blogging[49] or high-level sports. In 2013 Lauren Marbe, a 17-year-old British student and a member of Mensa, was selected by le Bal due to her IQ of 161,[50] and the 2015 débutantes included Olivia Hallisey, the grand prize winner of the Google Science Fair, who at 17 designed a low-cost portable test for Ebola.[51]

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.[52]

The majority of the participants must undergo a bit of a transition in wearing haute couture dresses.[27] Rory Ross of the Daily Telegraph described the débutantes’ transformations like this: “Trading fashionably frayed jeans, trainers and fruit-scented lip gloss for heels, tiaras and haute couture gowns worth up to £30,000 each, they undergo a semi-Cinderella transformation (‘semi’ because most of these girls already have a head-and-shoulders start on Cinderella).”[18]

In interviews, the débutantes usually speak of the pleasure of wearing couture dresses, the charity aspect of the event,[11] and the opportunity to meet girls from different countries.[53][54]

The cavaliers

Each débutante is escorted by a cavalier. This can be by a young man of her own choosing, such as a brother, cousin, friend, or boyfriend. However, nearly half of the débutantes don’t bring their own cavaliers, particularly those travelling from abroad; these rely on the organizers of le Bal to find a cavalier.[55] The organizer, Renouard, told Malaysia Tatler, " When a deb wants us to find her a cavalier, we look at the ages, the language they speak, their heights and possibly their backgrounds and usually it works. We certainly do not plan romance, but the beauty of it is that it often happens unexpectedly. One German debutante married her cavalier and they now have a young daughter who I will certainly invite to the ball as soon as she turns 16."[14]

In 2003, Tomas Terry y Gonzales de Gregorio almost remained incognito, but was eventually noticed by the Spanish press.[56]

Media coverage

The 2011 Debs photographed at le Bal.

Coverage often emphasizes the cachet of the event and its elegance.[57] The writer and historian Natasha Fraser-Cavassoni said, "Le Bal has really maintained its exclusivity; all the top designers participate, and there have never been any sleazy photographs of the débutantes."[58]

Charlotte Methven stated "Ophélie Renouard is an extremely determined French PR woman with a deft touch for networking and a bulging contacts book, who has masterminded le Bal since 1991, when she invented it as a fresh alternative to the dated débutante concept. And while she may have a highly developed radar for desirable people, she is self-confident enough not to be overawed and will not bend her standards to anyone’s will."[23]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Social Diary 1/4/06 - Social Safari in Paris, France". www.newyorksocialdiary.com. Retrieved 2015-06-26.
  2. ^ a b "Le Bal des Débutantes 2015 perpétue la tradition". www.journaldesfemmes.com. Retrieved 2015-11-30.
  3. ^ "Le Premier Défilé des Débutantes". Point de Vue: 26. September 1992.
  4. ^ "TWIGG Melissa". Hong Kong Tatler. February 2015.
  5. ^ Zan, Jean-Claude (1992). "Paris Match". Les Plus Belles Débutantes du Monde.
  6. ^ "Le bal des débutantes 2009". Retrieved 2015-06-26. {{cite web}}: |first= missing |last= (help)
  7. ^ "Les coulisses haute joaillerie du bal des débutantes avec Bucherer - Précieux Webzine". Précieux Webzine (in French). Retrieved 2015-11-25.
  8. ^ a b "Le Bal des débutantes, haute société et haute couture". Madame Figaro (in French). Retrieved 2015-11-25.
  9. ^ a b "Le bal des débutantes comme si vous y étiez". Retrieved 2015-06-26.
  10. ^ "Bal des débutantes - Kyra Kennedy. Une américaine à Paris". Retrieved 2015-06-26.
  11. ^ a b Popple, Shauna Jay (February 2010). "The Ball Issue: Making her Debut". Philippine Tatler: 131.
  12. ^ "World's Hottest Parties". Forbes. Retrieved 2015-06-26.
  13. ^ Menkes, Suzy (23 November 1993). "International Herald Tribune". Haute Couture and the Upper Crust. pp. 1–9.
  14. ^ a b c "Exclusive: An insider's view to the annual Bal des Débutantes in Paris". Malaysia Tatler. Retrieved 2015-12-13.
  15. ^ Lutaud, Léna (26 November 2011). "Le Figaro". Le Grand Retour du Bal des Débutantes.
  16. ^ "En coulisses du Bal des débutantes - L'officiel de la mode". Retrieved 2015-06-26.
  17. ^ a b c d Johnson, Rachel (2012-01-08). "Swishly Ballroom". The Sunday Times.
  18. ^ a b c d e Ross, Rory (2004-11-26). "Fairy Godmother to the New Debs". The Daily Telegraph.
  19. ^ Du Eugénie Adda et Karen Rouach (1 December 2014). "L'officiel de la mode". En coulisse du Bal des Débutantes.
  20. ^ a b Carbone, Suzanne (2015-11-14). "Invitation-only debutante ball in Paris summons 25 ladies to have le Bal". The Age. Retrieved 2015-11-18.
  21. ^ "Bal des débutantes - Le premier pas". Retrieved 2015-06-26.
  22. ^ a b c d "Bal des débutantes - 25 jeunes filles du monde qui font rêver". Retrieved 2015-06-26.
  23. ^ a b Methven, Charlotte (2008-11-09). "The Woman Who Reshaped High Society". You: 51, 53.
  24. ^ "So you wanna look like a debutante? M.A.C takes us behind the scenes at the Crillon Ball in Paris | Beauty | FASHION Magazine |". FASHION Magazine |. Retrieved 2015-10-07.
  25. ^ "Le Bal des débutantes, haute société et haute couture". Retrieved 2015-10-07.
  26. ^ Dutour, Edouard (2011-12-02). "J'y étais ... au Bal des débutantes". Elle (in French): 42.
  27. ^ a b c Bureau, Eric (2008-11-30). "Le Bal des Débutantes les fait tous rêver". Aujourd'hui en France (in French). {{cite journal}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  28. ^ Lauriot Prévost, Marie-Etudes (2008-12-03). "Un casting de rêve". Point de Vue: 36.
  29. ^ "Bal des Debutantes: A Cinderella Moment | AnybodySomebodyNobody". anybodysomebodynobody.com. Retrieved 2015-10-15.
  30. ^ "Social Diary 1/4/06 - Social Safari in Paris, France". www.newyorksocialdiary.com. Retrieved 2015-10-15.
  31. ^ "Paillettes et jeunes filles en fleur au bal des débutantes". leparisien.fr (in French). Retrieved 2015-10-15.
  32. ^ "Lady in Red: 'Princess' Chen Xiaodan casts a mysterious spell｜WCT". Retrieved 2015-10-15.
  33. ^ News, Bloomberg. "Heirs of Mao's Comrades Rise as New Capitalist Nobility". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved 2015-10-15. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  34. ^ "Bal des débutantes - les étoiles éternelles". bondieumxj.canalblog.com. Retrieved 2015-10-15.
  35. ^ "Stéphane Bern ouvre le bal - Les débutantes entrent dans la danse sur Journal des Femmes People". www.journaldesfemmes.com. Retrieved 2015-10-15.
  36. ^ "Anouchka Delon - La biographie de Anouchka Delon avec Gala.fr". Gala.fr. Retrieved 2015-10-15.
  37. ^ "EXCLU : Regardez le magnifique et féérique Bal des débutantes... avec un débutant "fils de" !". www.purepeople.com. Retrieved 2015-10-15.
  38. ^ hellomagazine.com. "Demi's girls put mum's divorce behind them at glittering Parisian ball". hellomagazine.com. Retrieved 2015-10-15.
  39. ^ "Le Bal des Débutantes in Paris - Vogue.it". www.vogue.it. Retrieved 2015-10-15.
  40. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bxvac2Tuug&feature=youtu.be, retrieved 2015-10-15 {{citation}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  41. ^ "RFK Jr.'s Daughter Kyra Kennedy Makes Formal Debut at Debutante Ball". PEOPLE.com. Retrieved 2015-10-15.
  42. ^ "Kyra Kennedy, great niece of John F Kennedy, opens Paris debutantes ball". NewsComAu. Retrieved 2015-10-15.
  43. ^ "Bienvenue au Bal des Débutantes". Le Journal des Femmes. Retrieved 2015-10-15.
  44. ^ "Le bal des Débutantes : Iman, la sublime fille de Vincent Perez fait sensation". www.puretrend.com. Retrieved 2016-01-06.
  45. ^ a b "La photo souvenir des vingt participantes du Bal des débutantes de Paris". leparisien.fr (in French). https://plus.google.com/+LeParisien. Retrieved 2016-01-06. {{cite web}}: External link in |publisher= (help)
  46. ^ "Gloria de Limburg-Stirum au Bal des Débutantes 2015". Noblesse & Royautés. Retrieved 2016-01-06.
  47. ^ Galy-Ramounot, Marion (25 November 2012). "Figaro Madame". Bal des Débutantes : J'y étais.
  48. ^ de Amézaga, Abraham (2007-11-24). "El baile del año". El Mundo (in Spanish). Yo Dona section.
  49. ^ Dormoy, Geraldine (2 December 2009). "l'Express Style". Jane Aldrige bolgueuse débutantes.
  50. ^ Calvi, Ives (29 November 2013). "RTL". Bal des Débutantes : Sans mon QI, je n'aurais pas été invitée.
  51. ^ "Le Bal des débutantes se tiendra ce samedi soir à Paris | www.directmatin.fr". www.directmatin.fr. Retrieved 2015-11-30.
  52. ^ "Jalouse - n°52 de 2002 - page 1 - Cendrillon sans les larmes un deux trois participez au bal des". patrimoine.editionsjalou.com. Retrieved 2015-06-26.
  53. ^ "Vogue Flash Moment: Having a Ball". Vogue. February 2008.
  54. ^ Morosi, Marie-Christine. "Froufrou au Bal des débutantes". Retrieved 2015-06-26.
  55. ^ "Beatty, Belmondo, Mountbatten : la relève tourbillonne au bal des débutantes - People - MYTF1News". MYTF1NEWS. Retrieved 2015-06-26.
  56. ^ "Fue El Acompañante De Leonora Gilmour- Tomás Terry, el joven español que se codea con la high society internacional - Noticias de Noticias". Retrieved 2015-06-26.
  57. ^ Cardoso, Cíntia (7 December 2008). "Folha de S.Paulo". Cinderela em Paris.
  58. ^ Fraser-Cavassoni, Natasha (February 2010). "Philippine Tatler". The Ball Issue: Having a Ball.
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