Couture Week kicked off in Paris with a party that felt lifted from a Sofia Coppola film—because it was. On July 6, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs hosted its inaugural Bal d’Été, marking the centennial of the 1925 International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts, while paying homage to the grand tradition of Parisian balls.
Chef Bertrand Grébaut of Septime—one of Paris’ toughest tables to snag—served dinner, as guests like Penélope Cruz, Diane Kruger, Marisa Berenson, Chiara Mastroianni, and Kirsten Dunst settled in under the glow. Other guests included Christian Louboutin, Anna Wintour, and newly-appointed Loewe creative directors Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernández.
Under the artistic direction of Sofia Coppola, the museum’s grand nave was transformed into an ephemeral summer dreamscape: soaring floral compositions by Thierry Boutemy (who collaborated on Coppola’s film Marie Antoinette), porcelain by Ginori 1735, flickering candles, and lighting by Ignace d’Haese. A mood both formal and delightfully undone. Or, as Coppola put it, “joyful.”
Lionel Sauvage, Sofia Coppola, Jean‑Victor Meyers, Sylvie Corréard
Penelope Cruz, Sofia Coppola, Kirsten Dunst
The evening also owed its sparkle to an illustrious honorary committee. Betty Catroux, Madison Cox, Athina Onassis, Paloma Picasso, Jordan Roth, Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch, Lauren Santo Domingo, Cindy Sherman, and Mathilde Stern-Pointillart lent their names alongside Jean-Victor Meyers, L’Oréal board member and president of the committee.
Princess Alexandra of Hanover, Ben‑Sylvester Strautmann
As the evening turned late, Coppola’s husband and Phoenix frontman Thomas Mars took to the stage, offering a soundtrack that effortlessly carried the crowd into spontaneous dancing on the parquet.
More than just a party, the Bal d’Été proved a fundraising triumph, raising $2 million for the museum.
