In 1994, a public-relations executive named Ophélie Renouard decided to revive the débutante ball (a tradition in both 18th-century England and the American South) for a new era. Le Bal des Débutantes, held each November in Paris, quickly became an important moment on the social calendar. Renouard cultivates around 20 young women from all over the world—and their cavaliers—and ushers them onto an international stage via a couture-clad gala dinner at the Shangri-La hotel. In addition to its splashy coverage in newspapers and magazines globally, the event also raises money for charity. As le Bal returns, on November 26, after a two-year hiatus, Renouard shares her key components to the good life. —Ashley Baker
Airlines: La Compagnie and Singapore Airlines.
Airport: Le Bourget, near Paris.
Alibi: The truth.
App: WhatsApp and WeChat.
Bag: Renaud Pellegrino, exclusively.
Bike: My stationary one.
Birthday: An excuse to celebrate.
Boyfriend: P.A.E.
Breakfast, weekday: Espresso with petit-suisse.
Breakfast, weekend: Espresso and toast with butter.
Car: A nondescript, anonymous one with two doors.
Child: My ancestor Édouard Bertin, as painted by Greuze.
