The coronavirus pandemic has necessitated the implementing of safe distancing measures, but in the world of fundraising balls, the show must somehow go on, even if it happens on a screen instead of in a hotel ballroom.

It is 5pm on a Friday evening and my doorbell rings. I am presented with a beautifully wrapped package comprising an artfully arranged three-course bento from The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore (no plating necessary), a bottle of red wine and a bouquet of orchids from Fiore Dorato to set the scene.

Welcome to ball season 2020, where the party is delivered to your doorstep like an extravagant Deliveroo. In the years before COVID-19, this would be the time of the year when society’s elites typically undergo dramatic transformations into modelesque glamazons draped in glittery bling and lavish designer gowns, all in the name of raising funds for various charitable causes – while providing fashion fodder for the pages of glossy society magazines.