page_title: Bal des débutantes
section_title: The Event
hierarchical_section_title: Bal des débutantes / The Event
caption_attribution_description: from le Bal des Debutantes 2009 at the Hotel Crillon in Paris
context_page_description: Le Bal des Débutantes, also known simply as "le Bal", is a debutante ball and fashion event held annually in November that brings together 20–25 girls aged 16 to 22 from about a dozen countries.
  Starting in 1992, it has been organised by Ophélie Renouard as a couture event by invitation. The young women don gowns from haute couture and couture designers, as well as foreign fashion houses. They all wear jewelry from the same jeweler. The débutantes usually come from famous families.
  The event raises money for charity; the most recent editions have supported two organizations. Since 2009, le Bal has supported Enfants d'Asie, which provides education for girls in Southeast Asia. Since 2015 it has also supported Seleni, a non-profit that finances research in healthcare for adolescent mothers.
  In 2005, Forbes cited it as one of the world's 10 "hottest parties".
context_section_description: Planning and preparations include inviting the débutantes and their cavaliers and meetings with the debs and their families.
  From 1992 to 2012, le Bal was organized at the Hôtel de Crillon. The Hôtel Raphael was the hotel of le Bal in 2013 and 2014 and the event was held in the Palais de Chaillot in 2015, overlooking the Eiffel Tower. Le Bal was held at the hotel The Peninsula Paris in 2016 and 2017, and in 2018 and 2019 at the Shangri La Hotel in Paris.
  Friday, or the eve of le Bal, is when the débutantes come together for the first time. The makeup and hair styling sessions start at 9:00am. Then, the débutantes don their dresses, shoes, and jewels, and the individual and group photo sessions last for the rest of the day. On Friday evening, the débutantes' fathers and cavaliers take part in a waltz class with two teachers.
  The debutants have sessions with By Terry for makeup and Alexandre de Paris for hair.
  The débutantes are introduced in alphabetical order on the arms of their cavaliers by journalist and author Stéphane Bern. Then the dinner is served. After dinner, the débutantes who are the most followed by the media open le Bal, followed by all of the fathers with their daughters.
caption: Debs dance and talk at the 2009 Ball at the Hôtel de Crillon.
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