“Wonderful having you, Dear Atasha!!!”
This was what the Instagram account of a prestigious Paris debutante ball commented to the daughter of Aga Muhlach and Charlene Gonzalez, who will represent the country in the invitation-only event.
Atasha Muhlach on Monday announced that she is “so happy and grateful to be given the opportunity to take part” in the 2022 edition of the Le Bal des Débutantes or Le Bal in Shangri-La Paris, France.
This is the charity ball’s return after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Atasha said the event aims to raise funds for the Necker-Enfants Malades Hospital dedicated to treating cardiological defects, from fetus to adult.
“Thank you so much to Ophélie Renouard @tatlerphilippines @lebal.paris @sabina.bilenko @antonsd,” she wrote on Instagram.
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The account of Le Bal acknowledged her post in the comments section.
Other personalities also expressed their amazement and gave their congratulations.
“Slaaaaaay! So proud of you, baby girl!” former “Kris TV” sidekick Darla Sauler commented.
“Super!!!!” medical personality Hayden Kho wrote.
Singer Sam Cruz, daughter of Cesar Montano and Sunshine Cruz, also left a heart-eyed face emoji in Atasha’s IG post.
Other Filipinas that have been invited to the ball in the past are socialites Paloma Urquijo Zobel de Ayala, Natalia Zobel, Monica Urquijo Zobel, Emily Madrigal, Dominique Cojuangco, Monica Concepcion, Kayla Uytengsu, and Rocio Zobel.
What is Le Bal?
The Le Bal is considered the world’s prestigious debutante ball, which invites around 22 young women aged 16 to 22 years old to make a high society debut in the name of haute couture, high jewelry and charity.
It was launched in Chateau de Versailles in 1958 and has since been held annually every November.
According to the ball’s founder, Ophélie Renouard, it is a modern revival of the 18th-century English tradition of debutante balls.
Debutantes selected for Le Bal often have a “certain profile” and are scouted years in advance.
“Usually they’re good students, they’re hardworking and they’re interested in charity,” Renouard said to Insider in 2021.
Some of those who have attended the high fashion event are daughters of royalty, Hollywood icons, tycoons and business moguls.
While the ball is “very selective,” Renouard said she tries her hardest to have “as many nationalities as possible.” Around 12 countries are represented by the attendees each year.
