I have to give Gwyneth Paltrow and Apple Martin some begrudging credit: do you know how easy it would have been for Gwyneth to turn Apple into the mother of all nepo-babies? It wouldn’t have taken more than a couple of phone calls, honestly. It helps that Apple is gorgeous, so much so that she’s probably already been offered major modeling contracts. I imagine agents have been dying to sign her too. But no, Apple wanted to go to college, so that’s what she’s doing these days. She’s 20 years old, so she’s probably a sophomore or junior at Vanderbilt (she’s in a sorority too).

Still, it’s not all wholesome college days for Apple. She has stepped out at one or two fashion events in recent years. And this past weekend, she did something her mother probably loved more than anything: Apple is a debutante. She “came out” at the most exclusive and ritzy deb ball in the world, Le Bal des Débutantes in Paris. A lot of celebrity daughters and billionaires’ daughters debut at the ball every year. Still, I’m surprised that Gwyneth wanted it and apparently Apple did too? I’m not surprised that Apple wore a very special Valentino couture look though:

Apple Martin is officially stepping into the spotlight—and in custom Valentino, no less. The daughter of Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin, the 20-year-old has largely kept out of the public eye. But tonight at Le Bal des Débutantes in Paris, Martin is marking a new chapter of life.

The lavish social event imbued with old school glamour also—unsurprisingly—comes with major fashion expectations. Martin turned to Alessandro Michele, the creative director of Valentino known for his distinct point of view and love of opulence, for a debutante dress to match the evening’s no-holds-barred grandeur. Michele dreamt up a strapless bleu ciel evening dress fashioned in six dégradé tiers of silk plissé chiffon, cinched at the waist with a black silk bow, which his atelier brought to life over the course of 750 hours. Martin completed her look with a pair of strappy Valentino sandals in a matching shade of blue.

[From Vogue]

I like the gown, even if I usually dislike tiered dresses. But it’s a lovely color and the bow is very sweet and appropriate for Apple’s debut. My one quibble is that I wish there was an extra inch of fabric on the top. While her girls are not in danger of popping out, it still feels like everything should have been a little bit “higher.” Also: while the Vogue photos of Apple are gorgeous, she decided to pair the gown with some gaudy turquoise jewelry for a couple of photos… and then she removed the giant necklace later in the night. I wonder if Gwyneth was like “you’re going to ruin your special night with peasant TURQUOISE!” Also: Gwyneth, Chris Martin and Moses Martin were all in Paris to support Apple.

Photos courtesy of Vogue, Hello & Gwyneth’s Instagram.