MEGA WOMAN Iza Calzado Wintle encourages women to love themselves, flaws and all
Blessed with a unique beauty, 21-yearold model Kahlea Belonia’s quiet nature belies her standout style
Often times, the people who sit comfortably in silence are the ones who have the loudest minds—and style. FilipinoAmerican model Kahlea Belonia is a testament to this. Upon scrolling on her Instagram feed, pops of red, yellow and pink brighten the app’s otherwise clean interface. One photo is of her in a liquid metallic bodysuit, emulating a golden goddess in all her glory. Another photo shows her wearing colorful woven coordinates by popular local brand Pio Pio. But what stands out is a photo of Belonia, blooming in the rosiest shades of Bench Beauty.
People might perceive her to be the loudest in the room because of her style and beauty choices, but she’s quite the opposite. Her aesthetic is heavily influenced by her mother who is a painter. In between modeling and taking care of her 2-year-old daughter Jermaine, she spends her time sketching, painting and immersing herself in art and design. Her subjects are mostly women—often portrayed as ethereal and celestial beings.
Belonia’s gentleness is reminiscent of R&B artist Jhene Aiko, whose calm nature is a stark contrast to her no-holdsbarred delivery of killer notes.
Just like Aiko, Belonia’s dreams are beyond this earth, her every step filled with grace. A free-spirited soul, she uses her energy wisely only on the things that make her grow. For now, it’s being able to serve as muse, mother and master to her everevolving craft. Belonia, after all, is out of this world.
WHAT HAVE BEEN THE HIGHLIGHTS OF YOUR YEAR SO FAR? "I love to work with my Bench Beauty crew. We are working on new stuff now, and I’m very excited for people to see more from them. I also consider this feature one of the highlights of my year, I appreciate MEGA for giving me this opportunity to just go for it and be myself.”
APART FROM FASHION, WHAT FIELDS OR ACTIVITIES INTEREST YOU? "I love to sketch and paint. My mom, who is a painter, has a very big influence on me. She taught me everything I know. Every time I listen to music or paint, it eases my mind and helps fight off negative thoughts. It just gives me good energy to continue doing my daily activities.”
WHAT IS YOUR STYLE PHILOSOPHY? My style aesthetic is all about comfort and color. I love bright colors specially when my day is going good and it matches my mood. But of course I also love pairing black and grey or black and white together. I love to play around with my clothes. If I do not wear a certain fit anymore I will cut it into something I want to wear again. If you are comfortable and you feel beautiful, wear it! There should not be any standards. People can tell you what to wear but if you do not want to wear it that’s okay. I believe that every person deserves to have their own sense of style, and that it should be respected.”
DO YOU HAVE ANY STYLE ICONS WHOM YOU LOOK UP TO? "Devon Lee Carlson is my style icon. She is A co founder of a company called Wildflower Cases that she runs along with her mom and sister. I would describe her style as very quirky and carefree. It inspires my style sense to become better and just wear what I actually want. She does not try too hard and she does not care about what people think.”
WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST FASHION INVESTMENT? "When I was 16, I was working for Bench and I remember being so excited to be given that opportunity. At times I had a shoot and then I had to go to my classes after or vice versa. It wasn’t a hassle for me because I loved what I was doing. My family made investments too, simple gestures and kind words will keep any person going.”
WHO ARE YOUR FAVORITE DESIGNERS OR BRANDS? "One of my favorite designer is Gianni Versace. One of the reasons I love Versace because he used their family maiden name to create this fashion legacy, which made Versace a brilliant family business. His designs know how to complement the body. Pio Pio is a Palawan-based lifestyle brand and their designs represent funky Filipino culture and features the work of Philippine weavers and artisans—brilliant Filipino creativity. They aim to restore an appreciation from Filipinos who do not know much about our farmers, craftsmen.”
QUICK, YOUR CLOSET’S ON FIRE! WHAT ARE THE FIRST THREE THINGS YOU WOULD SAVE? "I would get a backpack, trusting my gut that I have good stuff in there and experiment with everything inside the bag. I would also would get some clothes for Jermaine and an oversized jacket.”
WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU? "I know I will work with more creative people this year and we’ll be sharing more ideas with each other. I also want to try and always see the good in everything and not stress out over little things. Become both emotionally and physically fit and move to the beach and be in the element because I want to live a long happy life and watch my daughter grow up”