Miss International 2016 Kylie Verzosa no longer approaches the holidays with pressure to dress for spectacle.
Running her own brand has changed how she approaches the season, shifting the focus from appearance to ease, and from dressing up to dressing with intention.
Read: Kylie Verzosa on Spending Habits & Money Management
Comfort comes first for Kylie
When asked what holiday dressing means to her now, Kylie explains that comfort has quietly taken priority over everything else.
“Over the holidays, I’ve learned to prioritize comfort,” she shares in an exclusive interview with PEP.
That sense of comfort, however, looks different depending on where she is. Travel, for instance, demands practicality above all else.
“When I’m on ski trips, it’s all about layering and staying warm,” she says.
Back home in Manila, the approach softens even more.
Family time dictates a more relaxed way of dressing—one that doesn’t require performance.
“But when I’m in Manila and spending time with my family, I naturally dress down and keep things simple,” Kylie adds.
Owning SOLA, she says, has helped her reconcile these different versions of herself—the one who dresses for movement, and the one who dresses for presence.
“Having my own brand has helped me find that balance between looking put-together and feeling comfortable.”
That same balance carries over into how she thinks about designing collections, particularly for the holidays, when women often feel pressured to look a certain way.
Read: Kylie Verzosa regrets getting this cosmetic procedure
The Comment that Shaped the Collection
For Kylie, the process has become less about following expectations and more about responding to real, sometimes blunt, feedback.
Asked about the most brutally honest comment that influenced her next designs, Kylie doesn’t point to a long critique or a detailed review, but to a single sentence that caught her off guard.
“‘Don’t be scared to overdress.’” She admits the remark stayed with her precisely because of its simplicity.
“It was such a simple comment, but it stuck with me,” she says.
Rather than reading it as advice to go bigger or louder, Kylie interpreted it as permission to stop holding back, and to trust instinct.
“It reminded me to be bolder, to take risks, and to explore pieces that make you feel confident.”
Read: Kylie Verzosa reflects on SOLA's successful first year
SOLA in Merry Cherry
Based on the brand’s holiday release, that mindset is reflected in SOLA’s decision to bring back its signature Cherry color—a shade that previously found traction with its community.
According to Kylie, the color has always carried a certain ease to it that doesn’t require overthinking to work.
“Cherry has always been my favorite,” she says. “It’s the shade that instantly makes you feel put together without trying too hard.”
This Christmas season, she says the focus was less about reinvention and more about adapting existing ideas to moments women actually move through in December.
“For the holidays, we wanted to give women a silhouette that moves effortlessly, sculpts beautifully, and feels just as festive as it looks.”
Cherry debuts in the SOLÁ Shapewear Maxi Dress—an evolved take on the brand’s most anticipated silhouette.
It features a built-in mid-thigh bodysuit that sculpts the bust, waist, butt, and thighs, paired with a breathable cotton-modal outer layer, and also has an overlapping gusset and a new discreet SOLA label tag.
The collection now spans four designs: from the Classic Sculpting Shapewear Bodysuit to strapless and plunging maxi dress variations.
Priced from PHP1,625 to PHP3,185, the Limited-Edition Holiday Collection is available via sola.com.ph and SOLÁ’s official Shopee, Lazada, and TikTok Shop stores.
Outside of design talk, Kylie’s personal holiday wardrobe remains tellingly uncomplicated.
When asked to list her must-haves for the season, her answers lean practical rather than aspirational: tights, turtlenecks, a comfy hoodie, SOLA shapewear, and sneakers.
READ MORE:
- Kylie Verzosa's new shapewear promotes body positivity among men
- Kylie Verzosa navigates her own business path
- Kylie Verzosa soft launches rumored beau during France trip
- Kylie Verzosa on Body Comments: I'm Not Too Thin.
- Does Kylie Verzosa ever repeat outfits?
- Kylie Verzosa's favorite bling is a Lvna necklace worth PHP24.5 million