BELLES OF THE BALL

Meet the newest members of high society, from Angela Bassett's daughter to Britons with royal blood, as they appear at Paris's glittering Bal des Débutantes

- JACK MALVERN

To watch this slice of high society waltzing in their couture dresses and white tie beneath the crystal chandeliers of a Paris ballroom, it is easy to forget that this is their first foray into a rarefied world.

The guests at this year's Bal des Débutantes embraced the formality of the evening, but there were moments of vivacity that shone through.

At one point, Carolina Lansing, granddaughter of the fashion designer Carolina Herrera and wearing a dress created by the family brand, removed the large polka-dotted bow from her ball gown and gave it to her brother Magnus to wear instead of his bow tie.

At another, Jillian Chan, the daughter of two leading figures of Hong Kong cinema, posed back to back with her escort Nikolas Manos, their fingers pointed like guns in a poster for a James Bond film.

ELITE ENTERTAINMENT

The 2025 edition of Le Bal - an invitation-only event for children born to wealthy, famous or aristocratic parents - featured 19 young women from 12 countries making their debut in society. Each was accompanied by a cavalier - either a brother or a consort chosen for them by the organisers - and their proud parents.

The most recognisable guest was Angela Bassett, whose acting career includes two nominations and one honorary award at the Oscars, including recognition for her portrayal of Tina Turner in the biopic What's Love Got to Do with It. She watched her daughter Bronwyn Vance, 19, who is studying film at Harvard University, grace the ball in a white strapless Stéphane Rolland dress festooned with gold foliage. Bronwyn's cavalier was her brother Slater, whose tailcoat featured a larger-than-life golden lizard on its lapel.