A Mighty Cause
BALL IN MONACO
What are we doing to tackle climate change? Leaving it to international governments is no longer a pertinent answer. In that spirit, guests at the biannual Ball in Monaco were inspired to raise the paddle to benefit the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, which tackles issues affecting the environment. Recalling the glamorous Bal de la Rose charity event that is hosted annually by the princely family of Monaco, the Ball in Monaco saw the ballroom at Marina Bay Sands transformed into a magical space, where roses were the recurrent motif from the decor to the music. Edith Piaf ’s La Vie en Rose was the anthem for the evening, and was performed—in perfect French, no less—by the multihyphenate Hossan Leong, who was joined by the Singapore Symphony Orchestra. Organised by Jacky Deromedi, president of the Asian branch of the foundation and Jean-marc Arnaud-deromedi, honorary consul of Monaco in Singapore, the event was graced by Prince Albert II of Monaco. He took to the stage to welcome guests, and spoke about the foundation’s commitment to the environment and its latest project in Indonesia, in collaboration with the World Wildlife Fund, called Saving Thirty Hills. The evening’s auction saw a raft of exciting lots, including an art piece by Marc Chagall donated by Opera Gallery Singapore and luxury trips on Air France, one of the evening’s sponsors, to destinations handpicked by The Leading Hotels of the World. Grace Yeh, with whom we had just discussed our love for London, in particular the shopping areas of Sloane Street and Knightsbridge, successfully bid for a pair of Air France business class tickets and a three-night stay at The Landmark London. Since the Ball in Monaco marks one of the last events on the social calendar for the year, guests took the opportunity to catch up with old friends before their own holidays.