The young deb adored being a muse to Grimaldi. Of everything that took place within the preparatory period, what she enjoyed the most were the hours spent in the designer’s atelier in Rome, surrounded by racks and racks of beautiful couture gowns she had free reign to play dress up in. “Working with him was an absolute dream—I could not have asked for a more accommodating, talented, and passionate designer,” she enthuses. “It was overwhelming because I fell in love with each dress I saw, and I enjoyed the experience of trying them on. One of my favourite moments was getting to show off a design made completely out of mirrored material on his balcony; the entire outfit sparkled in the sunlight!” Her fondest memory, of course, would be of trying on the final dress—an elegant, structured, beaded number with voluminous feathers along one shoulder that fit her like a glove.

Kayla describes the morning of le Bal as “a complete and utter whirlwind, but in the best way possible.” All 19 debs were whisked from hair to make-up to dressing, bonding along the way as each one willingly lent a hand to fix an errant zipper or a stubborn shoe buckle. Before the grand reveals, all the ladies and their cavaliers gathered in a room to get to know each other (“And down a few shots of espresso to gear up for a night full of dancing!” adds Kayla) and exchange stories. Some of the young ladies she met were True Whitaker, the daughter of Oscar-winning actor Forest Whitaker; Baroness Ludmilla von Oppenheim, from Germany; Annabel Yao, the daughter of Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei; and Aria Mehta, the daughter of le Bal’s official jeweller Payal Mehta. Following this, each pair was led up to corridors to wait their turn as each debutante was presented. Walking into the grand ballroom of the Shangri-La Hotel, Paris and seeing dozens of faces—loved ones and strangers alike—was an exhilarating moment she knows she will never forget.

She was escorted to the ball on the arm of Chase McCaw, the son of telecommunications magnate and AT&T founder Craig McCaw and brother to fellow deb Julia, who was introduced to her by Ophélie Renouard. “Because Chase and I are both students at Stanford, we quickly bonded over campus life; he even gave me some insider tips,” she shares. “I enjoyed the waltz rehearsals we spent with his siblings and getting to debut his signature swing dance move—the pretzel—during
my reveal.”

Amidst the pomp and pageantry, the rest of the evening was marked by many heartwarming moments. Her loving and supportive parents, who made sure that every moment was as special as it could be for her—served as Kayla’s anchors from start to finish. “My Mum was such a trouper,” she recalls with a laugh. “She was right by me during the photoshoots, going so far as to run through the halls of the hotel with me whenever we had to do a quick location change, gowns and shoes in tow!” 

Her most significant shared experience with her father was, of course, the dance rehearsals and the waltz proper. “It was a special moment,” she adds. “We struggled with the steps at first, but eventually got into the groove of things because we would count in our heads and subtly cue each other to signal a new move and turn. Following the waltz, I got to spend the rest of the night laughing and dancing with my parents and everyone else who was there. It was an amazing way to share the magic of le Bal.” As was customary, the debs and their cavaliers headed off into the night for an after-party at the clubs—sans couture gowns and custom jewellery this time.

Kayla will never forget the time she spent in the company of her fellow debs, whom she got to bond with in many instances throughout the shared special experience. Aside from chatting during hair and make-up, they would go for spontaneous dim sum runs and boost each other up onto marble fireplaces for extravagant Instagram-worthy photos. “It felt amazing to be surrounded by girls from different backgrounds, yet still find so much common ground,” she says. “I found them to be kind and selfless, and, in their own ways, all very successful. Above all, these young ladies have a shared passion for creating change, which I found extremely inspiring.” Having connected with the other girls over various social media channels, Kayla hopes to reunite with them—especially those who are also studying university in the United States—whenever possible.

As she is a staunch supporter of community-based initiatives, Kayla understands that le Bal does not simply stand to serve as a fairytale-esque experience for its debutantes, but also a reminder of the causes that it serves: the Seleni Institute, a non-profit organisation dedicated to enhancing the quality of women’s maternal and reproductive health, and Enfants d’Asie, which assists disadvantaged children in South East Asia in building a better future. She appreciates the positive impact these organisations have on their constituents, and looks forward to working closer with Enfants d’Asie, which has a site in Cebu City, her father’s home town and a place near and dear to her heart. 

“My advice to future debs would be to take in every moment of the experience,” says Kayla, who now joins the roster—a small albeit special one—of le Bal des Débutantes alumna. “It is so easy to get caught up in the chaos of rushing from one photoshoot to another. It can be overwhelming meeting and having to remember so many people in such a short period of time. But it is important to take a few seconds to check in with reality and recognise how special and unique the le Bal experience is. Imagine finding yourself standing on a balcony with the Eiffel Tower in view, dressed in a stunning haute couture gown, surrounded by some of the most amazing, vivacious young women you could hope to meet. No amount of preparation could have readied me for all the intricacies of the event, but that was what made it even more magical.”