Sofia Coppola is throwing a grand ball in Paris next year

Earlier this summer, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris announced that it would host a special ball next year in celebration of the centennial for the 1925 International Exhibition of Decorative Arts. Today, they’ve revealed that Sofia Coppola will serve as artistic director for the event, which is set to happen during Paris Couture week on July 6th. Jean-Victor Meyers, businessman and member of the Bettencourt family which owns L’Oreal, will act as the President of the Honorary Committee for the gala.

Officially named the Bal d’Été, the event will be accessible to individuals and families who purchase tickets, rather than brands buying tickets and tables as is the case with the Met Gala. While the first part of the evening will be exclusive to those individuals and families, the latter part of the celebration will open up to design and fashion students. In a statement, Coppola explained, “I am honored to be entrusted with the artistic direction of the Bal d’Été at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris.” She added, “This city is my beloved second home, so to celebrate this icon of French culture is especially inspiring to me.”

While raising funds for the museum is the central cause of this event, it is also about reviving the old world glamour of the historic Parisian grand balls that celebrated fashion, art, and culture within singular spaces. There is no better venue for this kind of merging of worlds than the Musée, which has always exhibited a breadth of art and design, from Jeanne Lanvin’s private apartment decorated by Armand-Albert Rateau and Christofle silver to the archives of Dries Van Noten and Dior.

The ball itself will undoubtedly be a spectacular affair, made even more so by the sharp, wildly chic vision of Coppola, artist and style icon. As Meyers noted in a statement, “Sofia Coppola was the natural choice—an artist who effortlessly blends fashion, music, cinema, art and design into immersive worlds.” He added, “She’s the perfect person to infuse this event with life, celebrating creativity in all its forms.”

All images: Courtesy of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs

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