Princess in Training - Le Bal des Débutantes de Paris

family affair
Emily Madrigal
with parents Ann
and Vincent and
sister Alice
aWhat
Dreams Are
Made Of
a
Philippine debutante Emily Madrigal
lives every young woman’s fantasy as she
is introduced to society on an enchanting
night of haute couture dresses, stunning
jewellery, and handsome cavaliers, writes
Mitch Tizon-dela Paz
Photography: tim griffiths
Make-Up: LATIFA BLONDEAU of MAC COSMETICS
Hair: ALEXANDRE DE PARIS
Jewellery: bucherer
Shoes: Christian louboutin
Location: HÔtel raphael
154 philippine tatler . february 2015
philippine tatler . february 2015
155
H
aving been born to a prominent
and wealthy family, with most of her
childhood spent living in the glamorous
city of Paris, Emily Madrigal is no
stranger to a life of privilege; but
receiving the invitation to Le Bal
des Débutantes in November last
year still made her heart skip a beat.
“When I found out I would be part
of this fabulous event, which also
happens to be for a wonderful cause,
I was overjoyed,” says the 19-yearold daughter of Ann and Vincent
Madrigal. Le Bal, also known as the
Crillion Ball, was named after the
grand Hôtel de Crillon in Paris where
the annual event always took place
until it closed for renovation in 2013.
It is the most exclusive debutante ball
and one of high society’s biggest events
in the world.
Young women representing their home countries
are introduced to society. Each one is dressed
in haute couture gowns designed by the world’s
biggest fashion houses, wears stunning jewellery,
and is escorted by her handsome cavalier. “I
have never participated in a debutante ball
before. This was my first, so it was really
exciting for me,” says Emily. “Plus, knowing that
only 25 girls were invited, and that I was one of
the select few who got the golden ticket to the
prestigious ball added to the thrill.”
Princess in Training
Sitting
pretty
Emily Madrigal in
a J Mendel gown,
photographed at
the Raphael Suite
156
Le Bal happened on Thanksgiving weekend
in Paris, but Emily’s own personal fairy tale
started a month before that, in New York City.
Gown fittings, a series of photo shoots, and
dance lessons marked the beginning of a very
memorable adventure for the young lady. “The
designer of my gown was J Mendel, and I had
a few fittings at his boutique in New York,” she
says. “He is famous for his furs and his exquisite
dresses which are perfect for grand balls like Le
Bal, and the one I chose for this special event
was, I thought, the best suited for the Parisian
ball and my introduction to society—my
‘coming out’ as they say.” Emily’s dress, a pale
pink and black asymmetrical ball gown, fitted
her delicate frame perfectly. “It looked like a
gown for a modern-day princess,” she gushes.
This modern-day princess had to learn how
philippine tatler . february 2015
philippine tatler . february 2015
157
magic moments (Counter clockwise
from top far left) Emily and escort Theodore
Oliver Rubin; Picture of elegance; In a green
J Mendel (Photography by Troi Santos); Emily
dancing with her father Vincent; Fathers wait
to dance with their daughters; In a royal blue J
Mendel (Photography by Troi Santos); Annette
Bening and Yvette Warnod; Pat Cleveland and
Antonio Manlio Nieto
xxx xxxxx xxxxx xxx xxxxxxx
158
philippine tatler . february 2015
philippine tatler . february 2015
159
to waltz with her father Vincent; so after much
fuss about her gown, and pictorials here and
there, she and her dad went on to brush up on
their dancing skills. She enjoyed every minute of
it. “It was my most favourite part,” says Emily.
“My dad is my best friend in the entire world,
and dancing with him during practice and at
the ball was an exceptionally precious moment.”
The father-daughter dance is an old Le Bal
tradition, but for Emily, it’s more than that. “My
ultimate source of inspiration is my dad. He
has taught me everything I know and for that
I am very grateful.” Having her father as part
of this very special event in her life makes the
experience so much sweeter.
A Paris To Remember
Emily arrived in the City of Light a week
before the ball, and she was instantly caught
in a whirlwind of activities. “The beginning
of Le Bal was sort of a glamorous chaos,” she
says. “We, the debutantes, were rushed from
one photo shoot to the next, and bodyguards
followed us wherever we went because Le Bal
lent us very expensive jewellery from Bucherer.”
It was all a mad frenzy but Emily found herself
enjoying every experience and making a lot
of new friends. “It was so much fun meeting
all these girls, and it’s amazing how we all had
so much in common,” she says. “During our
breaks, we chatted about our lives, exchanged
Facebook accounts, and laughed. It’s incredible
to be able to feel at home with complete
strangers.” Amidst all the crazy and exciting Le
Bal episodes, the Princeton University freshman
also managed to squeeze in a little bit of school
work into her schedule, finishing a photography
assignment that involved Paris’ old architecture
and neighbourhoods just a few days before her
big debut. Talk about multitasking.
The excitement that brewed around the ball
throughout the week heightened on the actual
Le Bal night as the debutantes headed to the
Palais de Chaillot, the venue for this year’s
grand ball. “Everyone had butterflies in their
stomach,” Emily remembers. Well, everyone
except her. The former competitive gymnast
is used to having thousands of eyes trained on
her during competitions, and this night was
no different; so she just walked gracefully into
the grand ballroom of the hotel and dazzled
everyone. “The aura surrounding Le Bal was a
mix of anxiety, excitement, glamour, and fun,”
she recalls. “It was a once in a lifetime event, so
it was only natural to be anxious, but everyone
managed to contain their nerves and look calm
and absolutely gorgeous.”
160
philippine tatler . february 2015
philippine tatler . february 2015
“It was a once in a lifetime event, so it
was only natural to be anxious, but
everyone managed to contain their nerves
and look calm and absolutely gorgeous”
Everything was lovely. The ballroom was a
beauty itself with its gilded stucco ceiling, the
exquisite art that decorated its walls, and the
faint glow from the Eiffel Tower streaming
in through the windows that added a touch
of romance to the magical atmosphere. The
whole venue looked like a page from a fairy
tale, and as the beautiful young ladies swept
the dance floor and waltzed the night away, the
grand ballroom of Palais de Chaillot sparkled
with magic and grandeur. It was a picture
that will stay with Emily, one she will never
forget. “Being part of Le Bal is important to
me for a number of reasons,” she says. “First,
I met people whom I never would have been
friends with otherwise. Second, it was a truly
wonderful opportunity to introduce myself
to society. And lastly, Le Bal raises money
for charity. Proceeds from the ball benefit its
partner, Children of Asia, a foundation which
is partly based in the Philippines, and provides
care for underprivileged children in the region.”
Having her family and her boyfriend by
her side throughout the whole experience,
all proud and supportive, was also a memory
she will always cherish. “My family really
supported me from start to finish. In New
York, they helped me with the pre-preperations
for the ball. Then, they went to Paris and
attended the ball with me,” says Emily. “My
boyfriend, Theodore Oliver Rubin, was also
with me, and it was very reassuring to have him
there by my side, supporting me during this
very important event.”
At 19, Emily has seen the world and has gone
on countless unforgettable adventures.
“I have waded through floods in forgotten
villages in the Philippines to deliver relief
goods. I have taken classes on metaphysics and
epistemology at Princeton. I have won the level
7 New York state gymnastics championships,
and trained and competed with a French
gymnastics team in Paris. I have attended
classes at the École du Louvre in Paris, and I
have gotten lost in the Moroccan Souks…” The
list goes on. Emily thinks of herself as a “sum
of all these extremely diverse experiences,”
and being a debutante at the most important
debutante ball in the world is another addition
to the significant experiences that make her
youth extremely extraordinary.
perfect
setting
Hôtel Raphael
made a fitting
backdrop for
the debutante
and the family
161