I thought debutantes were a thing of the past, stuck in the South in the early twentieth century or at least episodes of Gilmore Girls. Apparently, the tradition of presenting young women to society is still alive and thriving, and Reese Witherspoon's lookalike daughter Ava Phillippe is one of the latest ladies to experience the spotlight at a debutante ball. The 18-year-old was one of 20 debutantes to make her official debut at Paris's famous debutante ball, le Bal des Débutantes, Cosmopolitan reports. How fancy!
Joining five other American girls at the event, Phillippe looked stunning in a gold Giambattista Valli Haute Couture gown. E News reports that the annual ball invites young women from notable families around the glove to participate, and many daughters of American actors are known to have debuted there, including Bruce Willis and Demi Moore's daughters. At this year's 25th annual ball, game show host Steve Harvey's daughter Lori also joined Phillippe as a debutante.
Phillippe was escorted by 19-year-old Maharaja Padmanabh Singh, who plays for India's national polo team and also attended to support his sister, fellow debutante Princess Gauravi Kumari of Jaipur. If this night didn't look perfect enough, the two even waltzed to music from La La Land, which allowed for a gorgeous showcase of Phillippe's dress.
Of course, being one of my favorite mother-daughter pairs, Phillippe was not without mom Witherspoon at the ball. Both her mother and stepfather Jim Toth attended, and Witherspoon and Phillippe posed for photos together, emphasizing their crazy resemblance.
I'm in awe at how gorgeous this event looks and how beautiful Phillippe's dress is. I'm rooting for some mother-daughter appearances on the red carpet very soon!