Our Favorite Nepo Baby Is a Debutante-Ball Star

If you thought debutante balls were a thing of Bridgerton and the past, you’re not southern or rich. But even I, a Texas-raised girl, was left speechless when I stumbled across endless content from Le Bal des Débutantes (a.k.a. Hollywood’s debutante ball). And this year, along with 20 other very important young women, Apple Martin, the daughter of Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin, made her debutante debut in Paris.

While the occasion is one marked by plenty of haute couture, Martin’s beautiful gown was at the next level. The strapless blue look, featuring tiers of silk chiffon and a black bow, was custom-made by Alessandro Michele for Valentino and reportedly took 750 hours to make. Meanwhile, the whole Paltrow-Martin family donned the Italian label with Paltrow in a look from the spring 2025 collection for the occasion.

Every year, a handful of Hollywood elites and princesses from around the world enter the ball. This year, Martin and Lucia Ponti, the granddaughter of actress Sophia Loren, were invited as honorary debutantes. Other notable debutantes included Apollonie Halard, daughter of Vogue contributor Miranda Brooks and Bastien Halard; Sophie Kodjoe, daughter of actress Nicole Ari Parker; and Princess Eugenie de Bourbon, all dressed in the likes of Schiaparelli, Carolina Herrera, Jean Paul Gaultier, and Oscar de la Renta.

The French ball is a favorite for many celebrities and their kids: Lily Collins, Margaret Qualley, Ava Philippe, and Scout Willis all made their high-society debuts there. Enter the couture prom of nepo babies.