‘The catwalk is our riot’: How Paris’s booming ballroom scene found its home in the city of lights

Vinii Revlon during the Stars of Paris are Shining Ball, a voguing event at la Gaite Lyrique in Paris in June. Photograph: Julie Sebadelha/AFP/Getty Images

The most fabulous catwalks in the French capital during Paris fashion week were not on the runways of Vuitton, Dior, or Valentino, but inside the Élysée Montmartre, a venue better known for packed, sweaty rock shows than for high-glamour events. At Sunday’s ELB ball, hundreds walked the Élysée’s floors at Paris’ largest LGBTQ+ ballroom to date, travelling from across the world to compete for 55 trophies and cash prizes.

Inspired by the GMHC Latex ​​Ball in New York, the oldest and largest international Ball founded to celebrate queer lives and honour those lost to Aids-related illnesses, the ELB was established to celebrate Paris’ vibrant LGBTQ+ ballroom community. “This is the first time we have a ball of this magnitude, in this venue, with this much cash prize,” says Parisian house DJ Kiddy Smile, who created and produced the event.