Le Bal des Débutantes is synonymous with high fashion, good

girl power
From left, back row:
Countess Victoria von
Faber-Castell; Vanessa
Wang; Inês de Bragança;
Almudena Lapique; Zara
Fistolera; Olivia Hallisey.
Front row: Countess
Sarah von Faber-Castell;
Aliénor de ChabotTramecourt; Iman Perez;
Sonia Ben Ammar;
Dominique Cojuangco;
Countess Gloria de
Limburg Stirum
From Paris
with Love
Le Bal des Débutantes is synonymous
with high fashion, good breeding and
the promise of youth—but this year it
was so much more. Madeleine Ross
meets the impressive young women
making their society debuts
Photography sarah aubel
2
hong kong tatler . month year
hong kong tatler . month year
3
Late last year, for perhaps the first time
in recent memory, the lure of Paris was
overwhelmed by apprehension. The terrorist
attacks of November 13, which took the lives
of 130 and injured 368 others, shook the
city’s foundations. In the weeks following,
numerous tourists cancelled their trips, and
many citizens avoided crowded areas and
public transport. For the parents of the 20
high-profile young women scheduled to take
part in the famed Bal des Débutantes, the
concept of putting their daughters in the
spotlight must have challenged every instinct.
In the minds of the young women who
had agreed to take part, however, there was
no doubt that the show must go on. “How
would it help to not participate in le Bal?”
asks 16-year-old Sonia Ben Ammar, daughter
of film tycoon Tarak Ben Ammar, when we
meet in the dressing room a day before the
ball. “You can’t give these people what they
want—and what they want is to break down
our ideologies and stop us living our lives. I’m
not going to live my life in fear.”
For those who aren’t au fait, le Bal (as
it’s known for short) is a grand gathering
of mademoiselles from the world’s most
influential families. The event has been a
fixture on the calendars of high society since
1992. Each girl is personally invited to take
part by le Bal’s founder, Ophélie Renouard.
An arbiter of taste and a celebrity in her own
right, Renouard’s unrivalled little black book
bursts with direct lines to politicians, power
brokers, princes and pop stars. Traditionally
held at the Hôtel de Crillon, a Rosewood Hotel
that’s currently undergoing renovation, the
2015 incarnation of le Bal took place at the
monumental Palais de Chaillot.
Le Bal may be modelled on the traditional
English debutante ball, but there’s nothing
stuffy about this jaunt in the City of Light.
White gowns and tiaras have no place at
this quintessentially Parisian affair; the
belles of le Bal strictly don haute couture
as well as bespoke jewellery by Payal New
York. High-fashion houses fawn over these
charming young women—they see the girls as
aristocratic ambassadors for their brands.
It’s not all about beauty and breeding,
however. Every year, proceeds from le Bal
are donated to two charities: the New York
City-based Seleni Institute, which supports
the reproductive and mental health of teen
mothers, and Enfants d’Asie, which promotes
the education of young girls in Southeast Asia.
This time around, le Bal has taken on even
greater meaning as a symbol of solidarity
and a celebration of civilised society. “The
in bloom Clockwise from far left: Iman Perez in
Gaultier Paris; the dashing cavaliers; Dominique
Cojuangco in Vivienne Westwood Couture; Inês
de Bragança in Elie Saab Haute Couture; Sonia
Ben Ammar in Chanel Haute Couture
a good
idea.” That joyous little
bon mot has become a
universal mantra since
Julia Ormond uttered
it in the 1995 remake
of the classic 1954
film Sabrina. These six seemingly innocuous
words perfectly encapsulate the magnificence
of the French capital—its beauty, its historical
significance and its irrepressible joie de vivre.
aris is always
4
hong kong tatler . month year
hong kong tatler . month year
5
In the wake of the terrorist attacks in
Paris, le Bal has taken on even greater
meaning as a symbol of solidarity and
a celebration of civilised society
Dominique Cojuangco, the daughter
of Filipino actress Gretchen Barretto, is a
vision in Vivienne Westwood Couture. The
charming 20-year-old radiates a warmth
and maturity well beyond her years; she’s
studying fashion and hopes to be running
her own label in 10 years. “I decided to take
part in le Bal because I think it’s important
to keep traditions alive,” says Dominique,
who boasts more than 400,000 followers
on Instagram. “Of course, these days people
debut themselves on social media. But I think
it’s important to support fashion houses, haute
couture and hand-sewing. We should treasure
these traditional techniques.”
If there were an award for the most
dramatic gown at le Bal, the effervescent
German countesses Sarah and Victoria von
Faber-Castell would surely be contenders. The
blonde twins sport eye-catching haute couture
numbers by Stéphane Rolland and cause quite
a stir when they parade down the red carpet,
arm-in-arm with their cavaliers. The girls, who
belong to the illustrious Faber-Castell pencilmanufacturing empire, may finish each other’s
sentences but have remarkably different
personalities; Victoria’s world revolves around
fashion, art and romantic poetry, while Sarah
loves to skateboard and hunt.
“It’s a family thing,” muses Sarah on the
subject of hunting. “My grandfather and my
great-grandfather did it. We grew up in a
hunting house outside Nuremberg and I think
it’s a wonderful tradition. It’s not just about
killing animals. To get my hunting licence, I
had to study for almost three months—and
it was the hardest exam I’ve ever sat. I learnt
about every tree, every shrub and every
animal in every national park in Germany. You
don’t just have to be an impeccable shooter,
you have to be a nature expert and…” Victoria
rolls her eyes good-humouredly. “Okay, Sarah,
la vie en rouge Clockwise from above: Dominique Cojuangco
(right) and her friend Ashna Mehta kick off their Louboutins; Countess
Victoria von Faber-Castell makes her debut at the ball; a spirited
Sonia Ben Ammar hams it up on the arm of Octave le Gouvello du
Timat; debutantes and the Renault car which drove them to le Bal;
Inês de Bragança captures a moment on her aptly themed iPhone
ball isn’t just about beautiful dresses—it’s
about the empowerment and strength of
women. This year, I suppose it’s also about
the strength of the city,” says Hong Kong
debutante Vanessa Wang, who is studying
history and international relations at Brown
University in the US. “By participating in
le Bal, we’re saying, ‘We are here, standing
strong.’ We won’t let this horror phase us.”
Perhaps the most prominent debutante
is Sonia Ben Ammar, a precocious Parisian
belle who splits her time between Paris and
Los Angeles, where she is recording her
debut album. The self-confessed “superhyper” Sonia sings and plays piano, and made
headlines last year when she was snapped
canoodling with Brooklyn Beckham, the
son of David and Victoria. Her supreme
confidence strikes me as more American than
French. Beneath the Chanel Haute Couture,
the intimidatingly beautiful Sonia is a
tomboy. “Physically, I’m a girl, but I think I’m
a boy at heart,” she says and laughs. “I love
boxing and I’m a roller coaster junkie.”
Alongside Sonia is her close friend Iman
Perez. The offspring of French film industry
luminaries, Iman is a bubbly showjumper
who spent her childhood riding at her family’s
country estate near Fontainebleau. Energetic
6
and open-minded, Iman has a penchant for
Iceland, an aversion to cheese and a love of
film—well, one particular film. “Did you ever
see Dreamgirls?” she blusters excitedly. “I
loved that movie. I once watched it 13 times
in seven days. And it was summer!” Iman
aims to be a professional model, and with her
chocolate locks and slender limbs she’s a shooin. In fact, Jean Paul Gaultier, the designer of
her stunning green gown, booked her for his
Paris show in January after seeing her in his
asymmetrical creation.
hong kong tatler . month year
hong kong tatler . month year
7
photography: © sarah aubel/agent mel; hair and make-up by mac and alexandre de paris;
image: Tim griffiths (car)
we get it,” she chirps, adding that her sister could
also be a competitive eater.
Perhaps the most regal debutante is Countess
Gloria de Limburg Stirum, a Belgian beauty
descended from the house of Bourbon. Her
paternal grandmother was Princess Hélène
of Orleans and, clad in a whimsical Zuhair
Murad gown, Gloria looks every bit the part of
European royalty. Her calm, genteel exterior,
however, belies a dry sense of humour. “I’m
descended from those who got their heads
chopped off during the French Revolution,” she
offers up nonchalantly when asked about her
family history. “It’s ironic because these ancestors
of mine actually voted for the assassination of
the royal family. They betrayed their family in
order to save their own skins, but ended up
getting killed as well. So the moral of the story
is don’t betray your family, I suppose.” Gloria is
fascinated by Africa and speaks fluent Swahili.
Concurrently with her university studies, she
does charity work with the Isibani Community
Centre in Drakensberg, South Africa, which
provides housing, clothing and education to the
region’s poorest people.
Perhaps the debutante causing the biggest
stir this year, however, is Olivia Hallisey, a softly
spoken 17-year-old from Connecticut who walks
down the isle to deafening applause on the night
of the ball. In September 2015, she took home
the top prize at the Google Science Fair for
developing an early-detection Ebola test. “It just
kind of happened,” she says and smiles modestly
when I ask how she made the discovery. “There’s
a science research class at my school and it just
developed from there.” She’s also a competitive
swimmer and, despite this being her first trip
to Paris, she’s been training in a nearby pool for
two hours every day. I wonder what she hopes
to achieve by participating in this celebration of
fashion and breeding. “My parents really wanted
me to go. They were like, ‘Do it. Be a princess for
a weekend.’ But there are lots of aspects I like
about it. I have loved meeting an international
community of people and I’ve made some really
great friends.”
The night air is clear and crisp and the Eiffel
Tower twinkles outside the windows of the
ballroom. Inside is a sea of twirling gowns,
gallant young men and fathers embracing their
daughters. The enchanting scene is a vision
of hope and cheer. Nothing, it seems, could
possibly dim this city’s glow. Tonight may be the
beginning of long-lasting friendships, even of
young love. Whatever the future may hold for
these women, one thing is certain—they’ll always
have Paris.
a night to remember Clockwise from top left:
French debutante Madeleine Thompson (centre) in
Lanvin; Olivia Hallisey is flanked by suitors in an airy
Giambattista Valli gown; an elegant pair of shoes;
the ballroom at the Palais de Chaillot
8
hong kong tatler . month year
hong kong tatler . month year
9