With Help From Sofia Coppola, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs Throws a Paris Ball for the Ages

Tucked in the western wing of the Louvre, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs has long been one of Paris’s most quietly magnificent cultural institutions. Since its “International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts” opened, in 1925, its mission has been to preserve and showcase the best of design and fashion, from medieval tapestries and 18th-century table settings to the radical silhouettes of Comme des Garçons; from the wallpapers of French kings and the jewels of India’s maharajas to Elsa Schiaparelli’s Surrealist hats. “This museum embodies a true art de vivre,” says Jean-Victor Meyers, the Paris-based arts patron and vice chairman of the board of L’Oréal. (His great-grandfather was Eugène Schueller, who founded the beauty conglomerate in 1909.) “Art, design, culture—everything I love.”

Together with recently appointed president Lionel Sauvage, Meyers approached the acclaimed filmmaker Sofia Coppola to partner on the museum’s inaugural Bal d’Été, an intimate, illustrious black tie dinner party celebrating the 100-year anniversary of its first show. “I always had in mind the great balls from the Rothschilds, when Paris was the absolute center of the world. I’d wonder, Is there a way to re-create that splendor in a modern way?” says Meyers, adding that, fortuitously, “Sofia was also inspired by some of the same images.”

He offered her carte blanche, and she quickly accepted, setting about organizing her famously meticulous mood boards. “The idea was a summer ball to bring the gardens into the museum,” says Coppola. “I had photos of Jacqueline de Ribes in silk with big flower arrangements, and I was thinking about ’80s hostesses, with a little of Edith Wharton’s The Custom of the Country.”

On the eve of the summer couture shows, 300 guests—including actors, designers, artists, and renowned arts patrons—received thick, gilded invitations that referenced Coppola’s visits to the museum’s vast wallpaper and textile archives. On a warm Sunday evening, they entered the museum through the Tuileries, with its sumptuous gardens—commissioned by Catherine de Medici in the 16th century—extending into the salons via fronds, ferns, and English ivy, which lined the soaring lobby. Florist Thierry Boutemy, who worked on Coppola’s Marie Antoinette, coordinated the lush arrangements with white wicker and wrought-iron garden furniture.

The dinner service in the great hall was awash in shades of blush, pink, and violet. Tables were set with Ginori 1735 china from the Antico Doccia collection and adorned with summer fruits, including strawberries and black cherries. Three glittering chandeliers were suspended from the ceiling, which had been painted to evoke a blue sky with wisps of clouds. (Shockingly, the light fixtures were temporary.) “I love that she did it like a movie set,” says Meyers of Coppola’s direction. “She looked into every single detail. No one could have done it better than her.”

The collaboration was both the easiest and the trickiest Sauvage has seen. “Simple because they knew exactly what they wanted and we shared their vision, and complex because every detail had to be reviewed with one or both,” he explains, referring to Coppola and Meyers. “From the very beginning, we agreed it had to be based on trust to be successful, and we all took the risk together.”

The goal was to avoid the trappings of a commercial event. Ticket sales were initially offered to the museum’s friends and patrons, rather than luxury brands or corporations. There was no official hashtag or step-and-repeat with company logos. Camera phones were discouraged. W’s portrait series, with photographer Craig McDean, was a nod to Cecil Beaton, who documented the Proust Ball in 1971 and the Surrealist Ball in 1972—both hosted by the Rothschilds.

“In the old days, no one had stylists,” says Meyers. If he had questions about what society was like in the 1970s, he could ask friends who experienced it, such as Betty Catroux and Paloma Picasso. They attended his gala too, of course. “We didn’t want to be nostalgic or re-create exactly what happened in the past,” he says. “We wanted to follow that lead. This is what they would have done. You’re here because you want to see your friends and support an incredible museum.”

Lauren Santo Domingo, one of the hosts of the evening, put it succinctly: “A gala is social currency; a ball is legacy,” she said, smiling in a vintage Rochas gown and Tiffany jewelry. “A gala ends with PR photos; a ball ends with whispers passed down through generations.”

Nowadays, these events often emphasize modern success metrics—dollar amounts, red carpet photos, social media impressions—all of which were not a consideration in the past. At this ball, discreet elegance reigned. Although an official figure was not released, reports suggest the evening raised more than $3 million. The funds will support the Musée des Arts Décoratifs’ centennial exhibition, “1925–2025: One Hundred Years of Art Deco,” set for an October opening. “It will be a spectacular event,” says Sauvage.

For some, the night’s highlight came after dessert, a delicious strawberry tart. (Bertrand Grébaut, of Septime, was responsible for the menu.) A tulle curtain at one of the great hall’s naves opened, and the band Phoenix, which is led by Coppola’s husband, Thomas Mars, popped out in front of a futuristic, Dan Flavin–inspired tableau. (Fun fact: During Covid, Phoenix recorded their album Alpha Zulu at the museum. Says Coppola, “I loved visiting them there, passing by Napoleon’s throne in the hall to get to their studio.”)

The guests, many of them in Chanel—including Coppola and Mars’s two teenage daughters, Romy and Cosima—rushed the stage, creating an haute couture mosh pit of tuxedos and ball gowns. During the final songs, metallic confetti fell, covering the stage. “The confetti was supposed to rain down on the crowd,” says Coppola. “But there are limitations to what you can do in the museum.”

Grooming by Bari Khalique for Merit Beauty at the Wall Group. Special thanks to the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris. First Photo Assistant: Shri Prasham Parameshwaran; Second Photo Assistant: Paul Jedwab; Third Photo Assistant: Olivia Tran; Digital Technician: Nico Fallet; Retouching: Gloss Studio; Grooming assistant: Tsuyoshi Tamai.