Jet Li’s daughter Jane Li on stepping out as a debutante at Le Bal, and the near-death experience that shaped her life

When she received the invitation to Le Bal des Debutantes in Paris, Jane Li had doubts. But, appearing in a silk chiffon Dior gown, she looked like she belonged

‘I’m waiting for where life takes me,’ said Li, a student at Harvard, and recalled the moment she and her father cheated death in the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami

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Jane Li (middle row, sixth from left) and her fellow debutantes with jeweller Harakh Metha at Le Bal des Debutantes in Paris.

Published: 2:00pm, 15 Dec 2019Updated: 7:00pm, 15 Dec 2019

Jane Li was rushed off her feet, yet clearly exhilarated. She had been tailed by photographers for much of the day, and had been in and out of couture fittings and jewellery trials. She was, for a brief span of time, no longer a 19-year-old college student but a poised and gracious debutante, about to be presented to high society.

Li – daughter of martial arts film star Jet Li – was one of 20 young women who had been invited to participate in Le Bal, an annual event in Paris that brings together the progeny of some of the world’s most prominent families. They wear haute couture gowns and lavish jewellery while waltzing, dining and mingling with other, equally well-born youngsters.

Her cohorts included Kayla Rockefeller, Araminta Mellon, Cristina and Victoria Iglesias, daughters of singer Julio Iglesias, and a cluster of European royals.

Li spoke while taking a break from preparations for the November 30 event at the Shangri-La hotel in Paris. By her side was Harakh Mehta, the urbane Mumbai-born jeweller whose eponymous brand was having its own moment in the spotlight.

Jane Li, daughter of Jet Li, with jeweller Harakh Mehta before Le Bal des Debutantes in Paris.

“I had no idea what Le Bal was, or even the concept of the debutante ball,” said Li. “It’s not something that’s really practised in China. I was sceptical at first. It didn’t fit in with the rest of my life, which has been quite private.” Born in Los Angeles, she’s lived in China and Paris and has spent much of her life in Singapore. Her father shuttles between Singapore and China.