– Le Bal des Debutantes –

PRINCES AND PRINCESSES

I don’t know how it happened, but I didn’t really quite catch this year’s spectacular Le Bal des Debutantes. It took place in Paris on 29 November, but it was only until today that I actually saw photos flash by on Jane Alridge’s blog seaofshoes.com. For those who don’t know, Le Bal is an annual debutante ball at which 25 girls from all over the world dress in extremely expensive couture and present themselves to the world of high society. They’ve got different backgrounds, but you’ve got to think in the lines of princesses of India, daughters of Bruce Willis (Tallulah Willis) and Larry David, girls with aristocratic lineages (Lady Amelia Windsor) and daughters from many really rich and successful businessmen (Barbara Berlusconi). But it’s not only elitist (of course it is), Le Bal has taken it upon itself to raise money for charity and there’s always room for someone without blue of gold blood on the list of invites. This year the honour befell Lauren Marbe — dressed in Anne Valérie Hash Haute Couture. This 17 year old from Essex made headlines by having an IQ of 161, which is higher than that of Einstein.

During the ball, the girls are chaperoned by a ‘cavelier’, a handsome boy with a ‘good’ lineage. Tomás Terry Gonzáles de Gregorio from Spain, for instance. Or Son Altesse Royale Prince Amaury de Bourban Prince de Parme from France. Prince Giacomo Leone Massimo Brancaccio from Italy perhaps? Marquis Giorgio Sanjust di Teulada? Well, you get my point. I think it’s ridiculous that women still take their husband’s last name when they get married, but if I ever get in the position to take a name like this, then, I do, I DO.

But about the ball, which we were talking about, the ladies wore a dress from och, just to name someone, Oscar de la Renta? Chanel Haute Couture? Elie Saab Haute Couture? Armani Privé? Carolina Herrera? Literally every fashion house offers a gown and before the Ball starts, the debutantes go from fitting to fitting. Really, I’d like to be a debutante. With a dress like that and a husband like that, I want it all. Check Jane’s blog, the blogger was a debutante herself in 2009 and took these beautiful photos this year. For us, great to dream away with. Great solution for 2014: become a princess.