It's that time of the year again in Paris when final preparations come together for the annual Le Bal des Débutantes. The famous debutante ball will see young ladies from royalty, aristocracy, and some of the most influential families in the worlds of business and the arts make their formal entrance into society.
The 2025 edition of the event, which dates back to 1957, will take place on 29 November and will see the elegantly-dressed ladies from over five nations flock to the Shangri-La Hotel, AKA the former palace of Prince Roland Bonaparte, which overlooks the Eiffel Tower, for the occasion.
What is Le Bal des Débutantes?
Having originally been designed as a traditional debutante ball held at the Paris Opera with the purpose of acquiring a suitable husband for the young lady, the very concept of Le Bal was given a makeover masterminded by Ophélie Renouard in 1997.
© GettySince then, it has taken the major focus off the lady's male escort, or cavalier, and celebrates them. The modern version puts so little focus on the cavalier that one can be 'supplied' by Le Bal, having been picked from a list of brothers, family friends, and boys from Ophélie's network. This year, highlights of the cavalier line-up include Albert Windsor, the Duke Of Kent's grandson and Gabriel Gledhill, a skier, but the ladies take centre stage.
© Gamma-Keystone via Getty ImagesEvery year, Ophélie oversees the attending debs, as well as their designer pairings and the participating families will make donations to charities when they attend. Previously, donations have been made to the research unit ARCFA of Necker-Enfants Malades Hospital and the Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital in New York.
The mastermind behind the event
"It's like doing the casting of a play," the event planner said previously. "The math can be tricky. We like the Italian princesses. But if I have a second one, she cannot be invited because I only have 20 seats. I need a mix of girls. I’m never bored, because every year is different."
© InstagramThe 2024 edition saw Apple Martin, the daughter of Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, and Hollywood actress Gwyneth Paltrow lead the debs. Keep scrolling to see who has made the cut in 2025…
Eulalia de Orleans-Borbón
A student of Economics and Finance at St Andrews, Eulalia de Orleans-Borbón is an influencer with a royal connection. She is the daughter of businessman Álvaro de Orleans-Borbón, who is a distant cousin of King Juan Carlos of Spain and the debutante's godfather.
Her paternal great-grandfather was also a cousin of Paul I of Greece, the father of Queen Sofía. Meanwhile, the deb lives in Monaco, where she enjoys a close relationship with the Princely family. She is set to wear haute couture by Lebanese designer Tony Ward at the ball. Albert Windsor, AKA the Duke of Kent's 18-year-old grandson, will escort Eulalia to the ball.
Carolina B. Lansing
Carolina Lansing is an American native who is none other than the granddaughter of world-renowned fashion designer Carolina Herrera. The student of communication studies with a specialisation in Spanish and the music business is set to attend with her younger brother, Magnus. The event is all about family for young Carolina as she will pay homage to her grandmother in a polka-dot dress created by Wes Gordon.
"This dress is a nod to my grandma's first collection; the black-and-white and polka-dots are reminiscent of it, and are also a classic Carolina Herrera look," Carolina told HELLO! earlier this month. "Plus we've woven a little yellow bow on to the inside hem to pay homage to the first Good Girl perfume."
Almudena Dailly de Orléans
Eulalia isn't the only deb with a connection to the Spanish royal family. Almudena Dailly de Orléans is the goddaughter of King Juan Carlos, as the granddaughter of Beatriz de Orleans. She is also the daughter of Pierre-Louis Dailly and Princess Adelaide of Orléans.
King Juan Carlos, Queen Sofía, and their son King Felipe attended her parents' wedding, a special occasion which Almudena will pay tribute to with her Le Bal dress. She will wear Christian Dior, as her mother did on her wedding day. Her brother, Diego, will be her cavalier.
Eugénie of Hohenzollern
The daughter of Prince Albert and Princess Natalia of Hohenzollern and a fashion student at the Marangoni Institute in Paris, Princess Eugenie spends her time advocating for orphans and medical research. She will don a gown by Édouard Vermeulen as she makes her entrance at Le Bal with Count Ascanio di Carpegna Brivio.
Josephine Haas
Joséphine Haas is a student at IE University in Madrid. Her parents are Sébastien and Claire-Sophie Haas, a lawyer specialising in film law and the marketing and communications director for a major French company, respectively. For her highly anticipated appearance, Joséphine, who will be accompanied by Count Brando Leonardo Borletti Dell'Acqua, has chosen a gown designed by Guo Pei.
Gabrielle Janssens de Balkany
Gabrielle Janssens de Balkany is something of a jetsetter. She was born in Thailand, before growing up between Switzerland, England, and Spain, where she currently lives. Gabrielle, who is an events planning student, is the daughter of Belgian businessman Olivier Janssens and Elisabeth de Balkany and descends from royalty.
She is the granddaughter of Princess Maria Gabriella of Savoy and Robert de Balkany and the great-granddaughter of King Umberto II and Maria José of Italy. For her appearance at Le Bal, she entrusted her design to Luisa Beccaria. Meanwhile, her cavalier will be her brother, Thomas Janssens de Balkany.
Ruby Kemper
This debutant descends from the elite of the American business world. Ruby, who currently studies hotel management at Cornell University in New York, is the granddaughter of Kirk Kerkorian, the former owner of MGM Studios.
MGM Studios is one of the most renowned film and television companies, currently owned by Amazon and responsible for classics such as The Wizard of Oz and Singin' in the Rain, and more recently, Legally Blonde and James Bond: No Time to Die. The young lady will wear a Chrome Hearts dress and will arrive on the arm of skier Gabriel Gledhill.
Bronwyn Vance
There's royalty, and then there's Hollywood royalty. Bronwyn Vance has grown up in A-list circles as the daughter of actors Courtney B. Vance and Angela Bassett, an honorary Oscar winner. She was raised in Los Angeles and is currently a year into a film course at Harvard, where she is part of a Black art collective and works on the university radio station.
© WireImageIn her free time, Bronwyn plays lacrosse, piano, and guitar. In 2022, she created a campaign for the Leukaemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS), which raised over $60,000 in less than two months.
Sarah Bae
Sarah is the daughter of investment banker Joseph Bae and former ELLE editor, Janice Lee. The deb is a student at Phillips Academy Andover, a boarding school in Massachusetts, where she's set to study history and philosophy at university. She also makes time for sports as she is the track captain and a UNICEF board member, as well as president of the Korean Society.
Eliza Lindroth
Eliza Lindroth is a descendant of Martin Wiberg, the Swedish inventor. He is considered one of the pioneers of computing, having created the first compact machine capable of printing logarithmic tables.
Eliza is no stranger to the beauty and glamour of the French capital, as she is a student of Art History and Anthropology at the American University of Paris. The Bahamian native will wear Rick Owens and will be accompanied by Antonius Meijer.
Alexandra Moxey
A student of Latin American History and Law at the University of Chicago, Alexandra Moxey grew up between Europe, America, and Asia. Her father is the founder of Ultra Records, home to artists such as Calvin Harris and David Guetta, as well as Ultra Music and Ultra International Music.
Lady Araminta Spencer-Churchill
Representing the UK in Paris is Lady Araminta Spencer-Churchill, who will swap her jodhpurs for Armani Privé at Le Bal. Attending on the arm of Baron Nicholas von Perfall, Lady Araminta is the daughter of the Duke of Marlborough, Charles James Spencer-Churchill, and his second wife, Edla Griffiths (with whom he split in 2024 after 22 years of marriage).
There is also a secret connection to the late Queen in Araminta's family history. Her great-aunt is Lady Rosemary Spencer-Churchill, a lady-in-waiting at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth. As the name would suggest, she is also a relative of former British prime minister, Winston Churchill. She combines her promising equestrian career with a degree in Event Management at Oxford Brookes University.
Eirini Zarifi
The daughter of George Leon Zarifi, a descendant of a banking family from Constantinople and Anna-Krystyna Zarifi, a descendant of one of the oldest shipping dynasties in Greece, Eirini Zarifi is currently studying at Royal Holloway in London.
She has her sights set on becoming an expert in spatial psychology, but before then, she will be joined by Gabriel de Kergorlay, as she sports a Deborah Milner dress to Le Bal.
Isabelle Von Perfall
Isabelle will attend alongside her other brother, Felix. She is a pianist and singer alongside her studies in social anthropology and art history at St Andrews.
As far as her lineage, Isabelle is the daughter of Baron Alexander von Perfall, who is descended from Bavarian nobility, while her mother, Ashley, comes from a diplomatic family.
Jillian Chan
Jillian Chan is no stranger to the spotlight as the daughter of Chinese-Thai director Peter Chan and the actress and producer Sandra Ng. It is rather fitting that she is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in Acting at the University of Southern California. Nikolas Manos will act as her escort as she dons Georges Hobeika.
Alice Wang
By day, Alice Wang is a student of Psychology at Columbia University, and by night, she is involved in her faculty's hip-hop group. Taking a break from her studies to shine at Le Bal, Alice will wear a Vera Wang gown and will arrive on the arm of Baron Heinrich von Frankenstein.
Isabelle of Orleans
Isabelle de Orleans, a business administration student at ESCP London, will be accompanied by Prince Constantin d'Orléans and will wear a gown by Antonio Grimaldi. She has been invited as the great-granddaughter of Henri d'Orléans and the youngest daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Chartres.
Reagan Sacks
Reagan Sacks' father, David Sacks, has friends in high places. He is the chairman of Donald Trump's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology and a friend of Elon Musk. Meanwhile, her mother is Jacqueline Sacks, founder of the wellness brand Saint Haven and a member of the board of directors of the California Pacific Medical Center. On the night, Reagan will wear Schiaparelli haute couture and will appear with pharma heir Jason Schwarz.
Ella Wadia
Last but not least, Ella Wadia has a remarkable family history. Her great-great-grandfather was Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan. The Wadia Group, where her father Jehangir Wadia is an executive, is a conglomerate involved in shipbuilding, textiles, food, and airlines. Her mother, Celina, heads up the brand C Femme. Having inherited her mother's passion for fashion, Ella has chosen an Elie Saab gown for Le Bal.
