Atasha Muhlach Has Her Eyes on the Goal
There are many rules involved in a rigorous sport like rugby. Like figures arranged on a board, 15 players are positioned on a pitch, with teammates tied by a much larger bond than the uniforms on their backs—trust, and a steady gaze on the goal.
Despite her claims of being out of practice after a two-year break from the sport, on the field, Atasha Muhlach is a natural. She catches the rugby ball with great ease from more seasoned players, as members of the Philippines’ national team—the Philippine Volcanoes—lift her up in a demonstration of a “lineout.”
The sun is ablaze when the scene played before us, with nothing but the pitch’s sprawling grass underneath our feet. It’s a stark difference from the Atasha of the previous months’ headlines for her appearance in Le Bal des Débutantes, where she, much like royalty, was garbed in a shimmering Sabina Bilenko gown in Shangri-La Paris, her palace of the night. The differences are apparent, but in both cases, Atasha beams, the easygoing smile radiating onto her curious onlookers.
PHOTO: Shaira Luna
Atasha Muhlach for Preview February 2023
Kick-Off
A good old-fashioned fairytale often starts with an invitation, and Atasha’s real-life counterpart is no different. The 21-year-old recalls the moment when she was handed the golden ticket in the form of a phone call, just as she walked home after her class at a London university. Contacts were exchanged, excitement grew, and the next thing Atasha knew, her name was now part of the 17 young women of the Les Bal des Débutantes, an exclusive annual ball whose previous rosters included blue bloods, old money scions, and the occasional Hollywood star.
“It really felt like a scene from The Princess Diaries because it was so unexpected!”
PHOTO: Shaira Luna
ON ATASHA: Love Parade Three-Piece Suit, P250,000, GUCCI, Greenbelt 4 and Shangri-La Plaza, Horsebit 1955 Mini Bag, P160,600, GUCCI, Greenbelt 4 and Shangri-La Plaza
The glitz and the glamour notwithstanding, Atasha echoes every Gen Z when she links her experience in the aptest way she can–through a Disney movie. “It really felt like a scene from The Princess Diaries because it was so unexpected!” she tells me.
PHOTO: Shaira Luna
ON ATASHA: Sylvie Chain-embellished Leather Mules in Black, Price available upon request, GUCCI, Greenbelt 4 and Shangri-La Plaza
Like the 2001 film adaptation starring Anne Hathaway and Julie Andrews, Atasha squeezed “Debutante 101” sessions into her already packed nine-to-five college schedule. There were dress fittings with Sabina Bilenko and her team, as Atasha tried out creations from the British couturier before settling on her chosen piece. In the summer, she and her twin brother Andres—who happened to be her cavalier—took on waltz lessons, something that she considers a “memorable bonding experience” for the two of them.
PHOTO: Shaira Luna
PHOTO: Shaira Luna
In this scenario, Julie Andrews might even be Le Bal’s creator Ophélie Renouard, who Atasha met in London after the initial invite. According to Atasha, the society ball’s founder walked her through the enigmatic process of becoming a debutante, which she was “nervous and excited” about due to its unfamiliar territory. Prior to this, her closest “ball” experiences were limited to pandemic-canceled proms and small get-togethers with her close friends and family.
PHOTO: Shaira Luna
ON ATASHA: Adidas x Gucci Dress, P130,000, GUCCI, Greenbelt 4 and Shangri-La Plaza, Bamboo 1947 Bag, Price available upon request, GUCCI, Greenbelt 4 and Shangri-La Plaza, Snakeskin Knee-High Boots with Horsebit, Price available upon request, GUCCI, Greenbelt 4 and Shangri-La Plaza
Among Atasha’s fellow debutantes were Leah Behn, the daughter of Norway’s Princess Märtha Louise; Annabel Zimmer, the daughter of the Academy Award-winning composer Hans Zimmer; and Eileen Gu, a freestyle skier and two-time Olympic gold medalist. Given the exclusive nature of the event, an outsider can only imagine the bonds formed for its attendants.
PHOTO: Shaira Luna
“We all opened up about how [we were feeling] leading up to the event,” Atasha says when asked about her relationship with her Le Bal peers. “We were relieved that all of us were experiencing the same feelings and emotions, [and it eased] a lot of the pressure. We all forged great friendships with one another and are still in touch up to this day.”
PHOTO: Shaira Luna
The day of the ball itself offered a different kind of energy, but Atasha was able to bounce it off with her family who flew to the French capital to support her debut. Her guest list included Filipina socialite and Paris regular Heart Evangelista; Atasha’s notable parents, veteran actor Aga Muhlach and former beauty queen Charlene Gonzalez-Muhlach; and her brother Andres, who was all smiles alongside them.
PHOTO: Shaira Luna
The ball’s itinerary included what Atasha dubs a “touching” father-daughter dance, which she and Aga prepared for days ahead. “Growing up, he was always my adventure buddy. I learned how to wakeboard from him and we would go on little dates at fast food drive-thrus after,” she reveals. “Our friendship continues up to today, especially when we play golf together.”
On Atasha’s side is Andres, who she calls her “built-in best friend.” “Andres has been in my life every step of the way,” she says. “He has been nothing but the most supportive brother I could ever ask for, especially in a milestone moment like this in my life.”
PHOTO: Shaira Luna
But when the ball’s hallowed doors draw to a close and heels are exchanged for sensible shoes, Atasha reverts to the other side of The Princess Diaries story, where the character born to royalty lives her relatively normal young adult life. “[After class,] I go home to cook or do chores like laundry, cleaning up my apartment, and doing the dishes. We were always taught to live an independent life,” she shares.
PHOTO: Shaira Luna
A League of Her Own
But when the ball’s hallowed doors draw to a close and heels are exchanged for sensible shoes, Atasha reverts to the other side of The Princess Diaries story, where the character born to royalty lives her relatively normal young adult life. For Atasha, that involves being a graduating business major, who, like any other college student, hoards her share of instant noodles to save up.
“[After class,] I go home to cook or do chores like laundry, cleaning up my apartment, and doing the dishes,” she recounts. “We were always taught to live an independent life.”
PHOTO: Shaira Luna
ON ATASHA: Love Parade Pink Chiffon Dress, Belt, and Tie, P160,000, GUCCI, Greenbelt 4 and Shangri-La Plaza, Aphrodite Medium Shoulder Bag, P130,500, GUCCI, Greenbelt 4 and Shangri-La Plaza, Snakeskin Knee-High Boots With Horsebit, Price available upon request, GUCCI, Greenbelt 4 and Shangri-La Plaza
While she may have a famous last name, Atasha explains that her parents strove to give her and Andres a sense of normalcy. “We’d attend school, then participate in extracurricular activities to discover what our hobbies and interests are. Then, we’d go home and complete all assignments that were due that week,” she recalls.
Atasha and her brother weren’t allowed to have their own phones until they were 16, which, in hindsight, is something that she appreciates now. “It taught us how to be present in the moment, and it developed a greater appreciation of the things around us and the value of time.”
PHOTO: Shaira Luna
PHOTO: Shaira Luna
Les Bal des Débutantes marks her own promenade onto the unknown phase known as adulthood. And with that, comes the potential pressure of her larger-than-life lineage–at least, from the eyes of those who don’t know her but are eager to do so.
PHOTO: Shaira Luna
To Atasha, however, familial “pressure” isn’t exactly the word to describe it. “I look up to my parents for their respected line of work,” she says. “They both have individual attributes that I definitely learned from as I grow up. Work wasn’t discussed but the emphasis was on guidance in life and helping us make the right decisions.”
One of those is also placing academics at the forefront, despite their family’s esteemed status in the Filipino showbiz industry. Atasha’s first foray onto her own limelight was as Brigitta von Trapp in the 2012 local staging of The Sound of Music, although if she were asked now of her plans—whether acting or beauty pageants—it’s that only the future knows the answer, but whatever it may be, her diploma comes first. “I’m always open to any opportunities,” she tells me. “But in life, we can never know what’s in store for the future, so we’ll see.”
PHOTO: Shaira Luna
ON ATASHA: Adidas x Gucci Sweater and Pants Set, P175,000, GUCCI, Greenbelt 4 and Shangri-La Plaza, Matelassé Top Handle Mini Bag in Perfect Pink, P156,800, GUCCI, Greenbelt 4 and Shangri-La Plaza
PHOTO: Shaira Luna
ON ATASHA: Mid-Heel Slingback With Horsebit in White Leather, Price available upon request, GUCCI, Greenbelt 4 and Shangri-La Plaza
The Ball’s in Her Court
For now, it’s a delicate balance of her collegiate life and her long string of passions. Aside from her previous stints in acting for theater and commercials, Atasha dabbles in visual arts and music, from painting to playing the piano. Her athletic skills are dynamic, too, counting her know-how in wakeboarding, basketball, golf, and rugby, one we’ve been a witness to.
“To me, an ‘it girl’ is someone who can be an inspiration to others, while being uniquely themselves as well as confident in their own skin.”
PHOTO: Shaira Luna
Many titles can be appropriate for Atasha, but spectators have seen her burgeoning, too, now that they want to crown her with a new label: It Girl. She flushes in gratitude when I mention this, and the normal college student in her appears, solid in my eyes. After some deliberation, Atasha thinks of what this title can entail. “To me, an ‘it girl’ is someone who can be an inspiration to others, while being uniquely themselves as well as confident in their own skin.”
PHOTO: Shaira Luna
In the game of rugby, seizing territory is how to leave the field triumphant with the cheers of an eager crowd. But to do that, the ball must be pitched backward, ironically, to move forward toward their goal. In the same way, Atasha’s paths forward are cleared, yet she’s founded by her familial roots with their guidance backing her up for the future—however that may take shape.
“Each individual is unique, and each individual will have their own unique path,” she says. “Whatever my own path may end up being, only time will tell.”
PHOTO: Shaira Luna
Produced by Katrina Maisie Cabral
Co-produced by Yssa Cardona
Photography by Shaira Luna
Photographer’s Assistants: Emelito Lansangan and Albert Calaguas
Art Direction by Bacs Arcebal
Fashion Direction and Styling by Steph Sison
Styling Assistants: Em Enriquez and Isha Fojas
Hair by Brent Sales
Makeup by Robbie Piñera
Nails by Tokyo Glam
Words by Katrina Maisie Cabral
Special thanks to Andee Que of Gucci and to the Philippine Volcanoes Jake Letts and Lalaine Joyce Bacus of the Philippine Rugby Football Union, the Philippine Sports Commission, and former chairman Noli Eala
Shot on location at the PhilSports Complex, Pasig City
