People Can't Stop Talking About Apple Martin's Debutante Appearance
Apple Martin has turned out to be the spitting image of her mother, Gwyneth Paltrow, and she is now officially a part of society. Apple was presented at Le Bal des Débutantes at the Shangri-La in Paris, and she was joined at the prestigious event by her mother, her father Chris Martin (who famously uncoupled with Paltrow in 2014), her grandmother Blythe Danner, and her brother Moses Martin.
First, for some background: Le Bal is an invitation-only event that involves couture gowns and plenty of fanfare. The event even had its own jeweler to help adorn the women for their big debut. A post on the Le Bal Instagram page describes the event as one that "celebrates excellence, the empowering of women, and the harmony between débutantes and cavaliers from all over the world." In case you're not in high society yourself, débutantes are the young women being presented, and cavaliers are the young men accompanying them. Apple's cavalier was Count Leo Henckel von Donnersmarck.
Apple has joined a number of other famous attendees at Le Bal in recent years, including Lily Collins, Ava Phillipe, and Margaret Qualley. The photos Paltrow posted on Instagram of the event made it look like Apple and her family had a great time, but her appearance at the event got people talking — and it's a real mix of compliments and criticism.
Apple Martin's dress had social media divided
Apple Martin's dress is making some people swoon while others thought it could have been better. Alessandro Michele, creative director for Valentino, made the dress for her, and the strapless, pale blue chiffon gown took a stunning 750 hours to create. The floor-length gown featured six tiers along the bottom of the skirt and a black silk bow at her waist.
Vogue shared Apple's look in an Instagram post, and comments were mixed. Some people loved it, describing it as "exquisite." One person loved it for its "Alice in Wonderland vibes." But then there were those who thought it still needed work, particularly at the top. One critic said: "She is beautiful, I love the concept/color of the dress. The bodice fits a bit awkwardly and looks like it could fall at any moment though..." Another said, "Pull UP the top please. Why fitting so low?"
Gwyneth Paltrow wore a black tulle gown for the occasion, also by Valentino. Hers wasn't custom but instead from the fashion house's spring 2025 collection.
Apple Martin was called out over a seemingly selfish moment at her debutante ball
Apple Martin did get some bad press over what some thought was her intentionally stealing the spotlight from another debutante at the ball. The women were being photographed one by one, and at one point, it does seem as though Apple was looking to get all eyes on her by sweeping up behind a woman in a black dress and starting to pose for photos.
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The clip has gone viral on TikTok, and by and large, commenters were unimpressed. One person noted, "money can't buy you class." Another compared the interaction to something that would happen on "Gossip Girl" and not in real life: "this is so Serena and Blair." On X, formerly Twitter, one person wrote: "Just watched the video. Apple Martin is a spoiled brat. Nobody taught her humble. She only learned how to be center of attention and mean."
The woman that Apple allegedly pushed aside is Alienor Loppin de Montmort, descended from French nobility. Loppin was wearing a vintage black Emmanual Ungaro gown that was once her grandmother's.
Apple Martin and her dad Chris Martin had a great time
There was one moment at Apple Martin's debutante ball that was universally applauded — when Apple was seen dancing with her father, Chris Martin. Apple looked so mature with her hair in an elegant updo (previous photos featured her hair loose around her shoulders), and Chris looked dapper in a custom tuxedo as he guided his daughter on the dance floor. The two seem happy, Chris especially; he even spun her at one point, all while smiling.
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"Fatherhood is beautiful," one fan account posted on X in response to the clip of the duo dancing. Another wrote: "I don't know who is the proudest. Apple who has a father like him or Chris being immensely happy to dance with his daughter." Then, on one of the many TikTok videos of their father-daughter dance, one person noted, "He's in the middle of a world tour and he still made time to attend the ball with her." Martin's band Coldplay is in the midst of their Music of the Spheres World Tour, but clearly, Apple is a priority. Our guess is that the tour schedule was arranged so Chris would be free to attend this event.
Apple and Chris also had a sweet moment when Apple was escorted into the ball. She was pictured blowing him a kiss as she passed by his table. We love to see the father-daughter bond!