Glitz, glamour and gossip: What REALLY goes on behind the scenes at a high-society debutante ball

On Saturday evening, 31 young women of distinction from around the world put on a dazzling display as they were presented at the 70th International Debutante Ball at the Plaza Hotel in New York.

The smashing event has a reported entrance fee that exceeds $20,000, and is a mainstay of the New York City social scene, considered one of the most prestigious balls of its kind.

This year’s ball brought together women representing Denmark, France, India, Mexico, Sweden, South Korea, and nine American states, including Texas and New York.

The grand occasion is invitation-only, happening every two years. The selection process takes about one year, and is typically by recommendation-only.

Founded in 1954 by Beatrice Dinsmore Joyce, the ball benefits numerous charities and has welcomed debutantes from 75 countries over the years.

Among the high society guests to have graced the ball are daughters and granddaughters of United States Presidents and United States representatives.

They include daughters, granddaughters and great-granddaughters of President Eisenhower, President Nixon, President Johnson and President Bush.

It’s a prestigious, elegant, and glamorous affair – something that is only attended by the upper crust of the upper crust who wish to see and be seen.

Nowadays, it may seem like an unusual thing to do, perhaps outdated, even – especially as you can just as easily be ’seen’ on Instagram and other social media platforms.

But the debutante ball, once viewed as a respectable way to find a husband, seems to have taken on a different meaning these days, as many debutantes said they are using it to connect with other accomplished women of their age.

Some may think the event is ‘out of touch’ given the current state of the world today, or even something that belongs in a different time period – but it’s evident that in some societal crowds, a debutante ball is very much still ‘a thing.’

It’s also worth noting the ball is a charitable event, with this year’s grants raised from the event going to the American Friends of Versailles, the Florence Academy of Art, Opera Lafayette, the Southampton Fresh Air Home, the Theatre Development and Young Concert Artists, among others.

No matter how you may feel about it, the tradition is alive and well in New York City, and last night, this FEMAIL reporter was granted access inside the ball, where we got an inside look into what it really takes to be a debutante in 2024.

The evening started at 5:30 p.m., with the women, who are between the ages of 17 to 21, posing for group photos and family snaps in the hotel’s stunning Terrace Room.

The women were poised and smiling, with some telling us that they were excited, while others looked apprehensive for what would be a long night of posing, curtsying and dancing, all while on their best behavior, ahead.

The debutantes had an early-morning rehearsal that day, they explained, and had had to attend many cocktail parties, brunches, and lunches leading up to the big day.

The debutantes were dressed to the nines, all wearing white bridal-like gowns made by top-tier designers such as Vera Wang, Oscar de la Renta, and Zadig & Voltaire.

Some of the women did not share where their gowns were from, as they wanted to retain an element of mystery.  

In what looked like a page out of the past, the ladies wore matching gloves with their gowns, some elbow-length and some a bit shorter – completing their looks with exquisite jewels.

Some of the pieces that the young women were wearing truly belonged in a museum display – there were countless diamonds, sapphires, pearls, and even pieces by Van Cleef & Arpels glittering on their necks, wrists and fingers.

One of our favorites was a gorgeous, layered pearl choker complete with diamond-encrusted fleur-de-lis in the center, worn by Miss Randall McLaurin Holstead of Texas.

By this point in the evening, it was still early – so it was mostly the debutantes surrounded by their escorts and their family members.

Escorts can be a brother, family member or close family friend around her age, or the committee can assign escorts.

The 31 women also have what’s called a Bachelors Brunch the Saturday after Thanksgiving, where Debs can pick an escort from a line-up of eligible young bachelors.

As the clock approached 6:30 p.m., the Terrace Room really came alive, as guests began pouring in to greet the ladies for what is called a receiving line.

The women stood in line in front of a flag according to which country or state they were representing, graciously greeting each and every guest.

It comes as no surprise that the guests were similarly attired – many women wore gowns complete with trains, and men wore their best black-tie tuxedos.

Speaking to the first woman in line, Miss Helena Grace Steuch of Denmark, she suggested that being a debutante means something ‘entirely different’ these days.

‘I feel like, you know, kind of introducing yourself to society, it almost feels like a coming of age,’ the college student told DailyMail.com.

‘Not necessarily marriage, that’s not what I’m looking for.’

Miss Isabella Kelani Grossman of Mexico shared a similar sentiment.

‘I very much was drawn to being a debutante just to meet all these amazing women, and it’s very inspiring to form these connections that I wouldn’t have otherwise,’ she shared.

Their glowing comments about the tradition come just a month after Gwyneth Paltrow’s daughter, Apple Martin, made headlines for her behavior at Le Bal des Débutantes in Paris.

The 20-year-old was accused of having a ‘mean girl moment’ at her own ‘coming out’ party at the $1,000-per-night Hotel Shangri-La.

Many people were left shocked by her behavior after a clip emerged of her ‘stealing the spotlight’ from another young woman who was having her picture taken.

The other debutante was seen taking her turn posing for the camera when Martin appeared from behind and sashayed into the shot.

A source close to Martin’s famous mom has since said the footage was taken out of context and that Apple would ‘never mean to take the spotlight from anyone.’

But at this ball, there seemed to be none of that ‘mean girl behavior’ happening.

Rather, the young women seemed genuinely excited to be in one another’s company.

Miss Samara Kothari of India told DailyMail.com, ‘I think it’s my first time meeting someone from Sweden and Scotland, and it was so cool, because I feel like you get to hear about everyone’s culture, where they’re from…’

Once the guests had met all of the women, they entered the cocktail party, where they could mix and mingle with other attendees while sipping on drinks of their choice from the open bar and munching on hors d’oeuvres such as mini spring rolls.

In true New York City fashion, we saw a lot of Cosmopolitans being consumed, and countless champagne flutes being tossed back by the attendees old enough to drink.

As one group mingled together, a mother gushed over one of the escorts, telling someone else that he was reminiscent of a controversial character from Gossip Girl.

‘Doesn’t he remind you of Chuck Bass?’ she uttered, referring to the fictional, womanizing billionaire party boy who, coincidentally, lives with his family at The Plaza Hotel on the show.

At around 8:00 p.m., it was finally time for dinner in the grand ballroom, which was elegantly announced by the dining captain who has worked at The Plaza for 35 years entering the cocktail party playing a small Glockenspiel.

He told me that this event was their last of the year – describing each event as an ‘adventure.’

Dinner was a real treat, as everyone enjoyed a delicious three-course meal that started off with roasted sekel pears, whipped goat cheese, prosciutto, mission figs and beet vinaigrette.

The debutantes sat with their escorts at their own tables, and were served the same dinner as everyone else, despite the fact that some of the dishes had the horrifying potential to stain their gorgeous dresses.

Many of the guests seemed to enjoy their meals, but photographers capturing the event are forced to stick to one strict rule during the evening – the Ball warns against photographs of people eating, as you don’t want to be seen in an unflattering picture with food in your mouth.

For the main course, we had a delicious filet mignon, complete with potatoes au gratin, baby brussels sprouts, candied radishes, maitake mushroom and vincotto.

To top it all off, guests indulged in a rich blackout cake redux, which was covered in chocolate cremeux with a malted milk chocolate custard inside, devil’s food cake at the bottom, and a blackout chocolate glaze topped with chocolate pretzel crunch.

Each table was beautifully decorated, with a sparkling gold tablecloth, candles set in an elaborate holder, and a stunning pink, gold and green flower bouquet as the centerpiece – presumably to match the pink arrangements that the debutantes held on stage.

It almost felt like we were at an extravagant wedding, something out of a movie, or even Gossip Girl.

Once dinner had wrapped up, it was time for the main event – the ladies were officially being presented on stage, accompanied by their escorts.

Each woman was announced on stage, as the Lester Laine Orchestra played a song that corresponded with their country in the background.

Once on stage, each girl took an elegant curtsey – but the most dramatic one was called The Texas Dip, a mainstay in Texas debutante scenes.

Instead of a regular curtsey, the women from the Lone Star State must first put their arms out to shoulder height, curtsey onto the ground, and then bow their heads all the way towards the ground, their arms still extended.

Then, when she lifts her head from the ground, she must smile and maintain eye contact with the audience.

The audience seemed especially excited for the Texas ladies to have their special moment, as many tables cheered and even threw up the Texas Longhorns symbol with their hands.

‘Texas is the reason this ball is still in business,’ someone next to me joked.

When all the ladies had been introduced, it was then time for some fun to be had the rest of the evening – which meant strictly dancing for the attendees who are not yet legally able to drink.

The newly-minted debutantes took to the dance floor with their escorts, and I went home – back to reality.

When our time was finished at the Ball, we left on a bit of a high. It is impossible to be surrounded by such glitz and glamour and not leave feeling as if some has rubbed off on you.

But once all of the initial excitement wore off, we snapped back to the reality of real life, where stunning white gowns and opera length gloves are not the norm.

It was an amazing experience to be able to attend the Ball, but it also felt like stepping back into a different time period.

The white gloves and dresses were more traditional than some of the other debutante balls that happen today, like Le Bal, where many of the women wore colorful haute couture.

Sure, the debutante ball has modernized in many ways, but it makes you wonder what place it has in today’s world, especially given the age of Instagram and other social media platforms, like TikTok.

It’s an interesting question – but it seems like the ball, rich in tradition, only has plans to continue on for years to come – as long as Texas remains intact.