Ashley Bush Makes Her Paris Debut



(image via nysocialdiary)

Prince Ashley Poniatowski, the grandson of ex-French Interior Minister Prince Michael Poniatowski, escorted Ashley Bush, neice of the President, as she "came out" at Hotel de Crillon's Haute Couture Ball. Was that aristocratically incestuous enough? The snarkily brilliant Facepalm blogs:

"Oh to be born wealthy and with passable good looks. Every year a select group of well-born young ladies are presented like prize fillies at the Hotel Crillon's Haute Couture Ball. This year, however, the event seems to have set a new low by allowing celebrity offspring in its midst. Being the grand-daughter of Steve McQueen can still probably carry some cachet in social circles but what notable birthright can the daughter of Andie 'Is it still raining? I hadn't noticed' MacDowell claim? Why not just open the floodgates and invite every girl whose mum uses L'Oreal Revitalift?"

(A considerable pause) Notwithstanding that we rather admired McDowell's "coltish good looks" in St. Elmo's. According to R Coury Hay of NYSocialDiary:

"�Tis the season for the world�s loveliest young girls to begin blossoming into young women. This rite of passage is known as 'coming out ' as in making one�s formal 'debut' into high society."

R Coury Hay is in rare form here, as he begins the lecture (And here, dissing -- I think -- the new Russian money):

"These girls are called debutantes. Some became glamour girls of their generations such as Barbara Hutton in 1931, Brenda Frazier in 1938 and Jacqueline Bouvier, later Jackie Kennedy Onassis, in 1947 and Charlotte Ford in 1959.

"... We didn�t see a debutante of this magnitude until 2000 when Lauren Bush, Lydia Hearst�Shaw, and Amanda Hearst made their debuts in Paris at the Le Bal Crillon des Debutantes which not only launched their social careers but also their modeling careers. This year it was Ashley Bush who took the crown in Paris at 16, which means she�ll reign for at least three years until she makes her official debut at 18 in New York.

"Miss Bush was a vision in a periwinkle blue gown with a train by Ralph Lauren, and a pearl tiara by Mikimoto Her 21-year-old sister Lauren Bush wore a black Ralph Lauren gown with an opera length strand of pearls. Her beau is David Lauren, the son of Ralph Lauren."

"I attended the ball with the girls� mother Sharon Bush who wore a divine green velvet column by Naeem Khan and her own blinding chandelier diamond earrings. Other New Yorkers at the ball included John deNeufville, Vogue magazine contributing editor Alexandra Kotur, Teen People Editor Kimball Hastings, Vanity Fair Editor Punch Hutton, and celebrity modeling agent Christine Schott who was checking out this years crop of girls for potential modeling contracts. Schott represents both Lauren and Ashley Bush and Amanda Hearst."

Andie McDowell, whose daughter, Rainsford Qualley made her debut as well as Molly Flattery, granddaughter of Steve McQueen, were in attendance. Also coming out was was Vicomtesse Doroth�e de Jonghe d�Ardoye of Belgium.

The full story and attendees here.