Miss International 2016 Kylie Verzosa is filled with gratitude as she reflects on the growth of her business over the past year.
Starting with e-commerce, her lifestyle brand, SOLÁ, now has its own pop-up store at One Ayala Mall in Makati City.
PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) attended the grand opening of the pop-up store on November 12, 2024.
During the interview, Kylie expressed her heartfelt thanks to everyone who has supported her and her brand in less than a year.
"I feel so, so happy," she told PEP.
"Honestly, it's a dream come true for us. Ever since we started the brand, it was always like in the works.
"And because of how it's been going, we were able to make the pop-up.
"And dahil, I don't know, you guys have continuously been supporting it and because of the support, we were able to have our own pop-up. So I'm so, so happy."
Kylie added, "I'm so happy for the support we've been getting, the community we've been getting, and the feedback we've been getting for our products.
"So I'm so, so happy to finally showcase it in our very own pop-up."
KYLIE VERZOSA: ONE YEAR WITH SOLÁ
In less than a year, Kylie successfully launched three key product lines: the Mercury collection, featuring shapewear, hugging, and menswear lines; the Pluto accessories collection; and the Ora by Sola firming body lotion collection.
She and her business partners made sure to include all of these in the pop-up store.
Kylie said, "So here we have our three collections. We have the Sculpting Collection, we have the Hugging Collection. We have the Men's Wear.
"And we're launching our Ora Collection, which is our first-ever firming body lotion. I'm so happy and, oh my god, parang, it's a dream come true!
"I only dreamed of this moment and finally it's here."
Kylie is particularly excited about Ora, the newest addition to her product lineup.
When asked to explain why they went for bodycare this time, she explained, "We were thinking... shapewear is for your body.
"And Ora is for your skin, so you want to take care of your whole entire body. So this has the same benefits of shapewear on your skin."
KYLIE VERZOSA'S CORPORATE ERA
Even though her brand has grown significantly over the past year, Kylie reflected on her journey and described it as a year filled with learning.
She's thrilled to express her creativity as the creative director of the brand, but she's also diving deeper into understanding the entrepreneurial side of the business.
She told PEP, "I think, creative-wise, I feel like it's a good outlet to showcase your creativity through the products, through the socials, through the content you create.
"I'm the creative director of the brand, so I make sure that all the content we post are in line with the brand or how we want people to perceive it.
"And with the entrepreneurship side, I've been learning so much. And there's still so many things I don't know, but I still want to learn."
One of the key lessons Kylie has learned is the importance of having a great team.
She said, "I also oversee everyday operations, but we have an amazing team. And honestly, I won't be able to do this without my team.
"They are so good, they move so quick, they're very precise. And I'm so, so happy to have them."
Beyond understanding the business side of things, Kylie is committed to ensuring her lifestyle brand aligns with her mental health advocacy.
The beauty queen-actress explained, "SOLÁ's message from the beginning was just to make you feel good, no matter what size, what shape you are.
"And we have that with the diversity of our shapewear, the styles, we made sure it fits every kind of body.
"And with Ora, it complements the message of that. And we just really want you to feel good in what you wear, because it's gonna radiate outside. And look good, feel good."
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