Carolina Herrera’s Granddaughter Reveals the 1 Most Surprising Part of Attending Le Bal des Débutantes (Exclusive)

Over the course of decades, Le Bal des Débutantes has maintained its reputation as the premier party to attend as a young woman entering society. Each year, noteworthy families flock to the famed Hotel Shangri-La in Paris for a formal celebration of the debutantes, who traditionally work with designers to dream up bespoke haute couture gowns.

On the inside, the star-studded, invite-only event — which was originally launched in 1958 and then revived by Ophélie Renouard in 1992 — is just as glamorous as it seems. But one would be incorrect to assume Le Bal is presented with arrogance, stuffy attitudes or rigid scheduling, at least according to one 2025 debutante.

Carolina Lansing attended the fête on Saturday, Nov. 29, wearing a polka-dotted dress designed for her fashion icon grandmother Carolina Herrera‘s brand. Wearing the family label may have been the obvious choice for the evening, but Lansing tells PEOPLE she was surprised by the environment that welcomed her and 18 other young women.

“I went into it being like, ‘Oh my God, there’s going to be a sit-down dinner after. I’m nervous. What am I going to have to do? Where are they going to seat me?'” the Chapman University student, 21, admits. “But the actual event was a lot more laid back than I was expecting … Obviously, it was a very extravagant party and everyone was wearing these crazy get-ups, and we were in this insane hotel, but it did feel very chill and relaxed.”

As for party highlights, Lansing points to the lively dance floor — as seen in a viral video of debutante Bronwyn Vance‘s parents, Angela Bassett and Courtney B. Vance — and the conversation, which flowed thanks to Le Bal’s easygoing atmosphere.

“It felt like everyone could talk to one another. All the girls were walking into the main room during the dinner to go say hi to their parents and interrupt dinner. Everyone was chatting and moving around,” adds Lansing.

It may also surprise an outsider to learn that Renouard sets few rules for the young women. Spanish royal HRH Princess Eulalia de Orléans-Borbon told PEOPLE that they aren’t able to post social media content that shows off their couture ensembles after the event, a request which she said is made to “preserve the mystery.”

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Beyond that, restrictions are less imposed than they are implied, Lansing notes. “I do think that there is almost an unspoken expectation of being well-mannered and presenting yourself well, because you are at such a publicized event,” she adds, “but It wasn’t really spoken. I think it was just assumed that everyone was going to be well-behaved.”