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On Thursday, Les Pierrettes dedicated the organization’s annual ball to Pierrot, the French master of pantomime. Held this year at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, the ball had as its theme “Les Pierrettes Goes to The Big Apple.”
Promptly at 8 p.m., Jimmy Maxwell and his orchestra began to play. A whistle blew, heralding the appearance of this year’s captain, Miss Isabelle Fenner Merlin, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Max Edward Merlin. The captain’s “New York taxi” halter dress was of bright yellow cotton sateen and featured a black and white checkerboard collar and border at the hem of the full skirt, which was trimmed in black sequins. She wore coordinating yellow shoes and gloves trimmed to match and finished with a taxi sign headpiece.
With the help of her lieutenants, the captain led a group of 10 dancers onto the dance floor where they danced to Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York” and Jay Z and Rhianna’s “Empire State of Mind,” to name two. The dancers wowed the crowd with classic moves inspired by the infamous Radio City Rockettes wearing kelly green double-breasted skater dresses, accessorized with faux fur hats and cuffs.
In keeping with the theme, the lieutenants were ready to explore The Big Apple in their iconic, “I (Heart) NY” tops, sequined pedal pushers, red-sequined high-top kicks, checkerboard fanny packs, and Lady Liberty headpieces.
After the dance, the lieutenants positioned themselves at the foot of a gold and silver shimmering throne where their monarch, Miss Lanier Lange Kearney, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Clay Parker Kearney, and her royal entourage held court.
Maids to her majesty were Misses Adele Lobrano Barba, Katherine Coll Benton, Natalie Henderson Boersma, Claire Marie Burton, Sarah Lapeyre Connolly, Elizabeth Anne Engelhardt, Jane Claiborne Fry, Eugenie Marie Gibbens, Lillian Gayle Gorman, Charlotte Treat Green and Ana Claire Williamson Hanley.
Also serving as maids in the court were Misses Kendall Baldwin Joseph, Estelle Claire LeGardeur, Mary Elise Meyer, Katherine Harper Montgomery, Josephine Kershaw Parrino, Amelia Lynn Phillips, Anna Hassinger Schmidt, Isabel Louise Schmidt, Mary Judith Schmidt, Patricia Elizabeth Webster and Ava Leigh Zander.
The queen’s consort was Mr. Nathaniel Pope Phillips IV, son of Mr. and Mrs. Phillips III.
The dukes were Messrs. James Sinnot Bland, James McDowell Brady, Jr., John Crossin Calhoun Jr., William Courtade Carrere Jr., William Swayze Darragh, Parker Townsend Davis, Frank Taylor DeJarnette, William McCall Engelhardt, Tullis Ritter Gambel, William Pennington Gibbens, Jr. and Elliot Simms Hardin.
Also serving as dukes were Messrs. Robert Tyler Kerrigan, Peter Cantine Loop III, Heid Cooper Manning, Brock Alexander Masson, Coalter Barroll McCall, George Eward McCelvey, George Merritt McFadden, Hagen Miles Mimless, John Thomas Nesser V, Mason Harrison Snyder, and Charles Vincent Varisco.
Serving as the queen’s pages were Misses Sarah Fitzpatrick Charbonnet, Madeline Ashby Geary, Lane Ann Gilly, Elizabeth Ives Dupuy Gwin, Corinne Barry Kepper, Eleanor Zatarain Smith, Anne Kathryn Spence and Helen Harcourt Summerour.
In keeping with tradition, the pages presented white orchids to the queen’s and captain’s mothers. The pages presented bouquets of pink sweetheart roses to Miss Cameron Sinclair Andrews and Miss Morgan Louise LeBourgeois, the queens from 2020 and 2021, respectively.
Finally, the captain presented the 50-year queen, Mrs. Peter Hillyer Dupuy, with a bouquet of red roses and walked her across the floor to greet the queen on her throne.
