Women's Month: Mela Habijan comes full circle in IKEA's new collection
MANILA, Philippines — Miss Trans Global 2020 and content creator Mela Habijan has worn a number of outfits throughout the years as she fully embraced her femininity, but robes stand out for a very personal reason.
Mela was among the brand ambassadors and wellness advocates who modeled for the launch of IKEA's new BASTUA collection, in collaboration with Finnish textile-clothing company Marimekko.
The two companies draw from their common Nordic heritage and sauna culture to present the 29-piece collection which highlight the value of self-care through color and joy.
The BASTUA collection ranges from wooden benches, beach towels, scented candles, glassware, and carrier bags, and a rhubarb leaves pattern that appears on cushions, trays, bath sheets, water bottles and kimono robes.
Despite experience in pageantry and public speaking, the launch was actually Mela's first time walking a runway as a model, and donning the robe made it even more significant.
After praising the robe's beautiful design, Mela said such a garment was a signifier of her transition journey, and greeted everyone at the launch a Happy International Women's Day which was marked last March 8.
"The first piece that showcased my femininity is the robe, hence I come full circle," shared Mela.
Related: Women's Month: Filipina Airbnb hosts ranked second highest in the world
In an exclusive interview with Philstar.com, Mela reflected on her pre-transition days shifting from a masculine expression to feminine, and somehow robes were what reflected her personality.
"I bought so many robes from different stores and I wore it everyday, it gave me power," said Mela. "The significance of having that long robe made me realized how powerful I am as a person."
The content creator admits being in awe that she got to wear a robe on her first-ever runway, again reiterating the full circle she's achieved with her pre-transition experiences and achieving dreams she had as a kid.
"Now I'm having my first-ever runway show and I thinking [out] loud 'I want to be a supermodel.' It is happening, it has happened, and I'm looking forward to more," Mela said happily.
While International Women's Day may have finished this year, but the month of March continues to recognize the importance and relevance of women in society, and Mela is joining in on the celebrations.
"We are born at a time in which dreaming is possible. Dreaming to be anything we want is something that we can treasure nowadays because we can slowly own ourselves, get to know who we are, cultivate our passion, develop our skills," the beauty queen said.
Mela ended that more people are realizing that it's not a man's world, but rather "a world meant for everyone to shine."
The IKEA and Marimekko BASTUA collection is now available at IKEA Pasay City, with limited quantities available.
RELATED: Women's Day: Josie Natori champions 'Made in the Philippines' to the world
