The Musée des Arts Décoratifs organises its first grand ball

Housed in the Marsan wing of the Louvre Palace in the heart of Paris since 1905, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs announces that it will host its very first grand ball. According to a brief statement shared by the institution, the evening will be held on July 6, 2025, exactly 100 years after the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts held in 1925. The event is thus organised to celebrate the anniversary of this revolutionary exhibition that brought together no fewer than 21 nations, and also to pay tribute to «French fashion and art de vivre.» It’s a way to show the world French craftsmanship and artisanal talent in these competitive times. The event (presented as «annual», suggesting that other editions are already planned even before seeing how the first one goes) could it establish itself as the French version of Anna Wintour's Met Gala?

Born in the Middle Ages within the great courts and reserved exclusively for carefully selected aristocratic guests, balls today are no longer part of a social custom and have almost completely disappeared from the face of the earth. The two most important and publicised today are the Vienna balls and the New York International Debutante Ball (Gossip Girl fans will know what we're talking about). The former could now almost be considered a cultural heritage of the Austrian capital. No fewer than 400 balls take place there each winter where the waltz is danced until dawn, respecting well-established codes that no one is allowed to break. The latter, meanwhile, is a tradition dating back to 1954 for the golden youth of Manhattan. It serves as the official presentation of upper-class young girls to high society, helping them find a husband matching their rank. In France, however, although thousands of events bringing together the most VIPs take place each year, no ball had been on the agenda until now. 

The Musée des Arts Décoratifs has therefore decided to remedy this by bringing back to French territory this custom yet so unpopular these days. The ball will be held «in the tradition of the greatest Parisian balls» and promises to present a range of carefully selected guests, but above all dressed by the greatest haute couture designers. An opportunity not to be missed for Made in France luxury Maisons, which would, in addition to ensuring major exposure and visibility, be a beautiful way to pay tribute to their country and French couture. As for concrete and practical information, only the date has been revealed by the Museum. No official information about the venue or theme has been provided. It could be that the ball takes place in the sublime Hall Lefuel and under the nave, which would have the capacity to accommodate up to 900 guests. There are also rumours that the festivities may be open to the public. In any case, official communications sharing more details about the evening's modalities should be shared by the Museum by the fall. Meanwhile, from November 6 to January 8, 2025, the institution will host the temporary exhibition «La mode en modèles», which traces Parisian fashion from the Roaring Twenties from 1917 to 1939. A potential clue to the ball’s theme?