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, its lifestyle brand, SOLÁ, now has its own pop-up store at One Ayala Mall in Makati City.

PEP.ph (Filipino entertainment portal) attended the inauguration of the pop-up store on November 12, 2024.

During the interview, Kylie expressed her sincere thanks to everyone who has supported her and her brand in less than a year.

“I feel so happy,” she told PEP.

“Honestly, it’s a dream come true for us. Since we started the brand, it’s always been in the works.

“And because of the way it happened, we were able to create this pop-up.

“And dahil, I don’t know, you continually supported him and because of your support we were able to have our own pop-up. So I’m so, so happy.”

Kylie added: “I am so happy with the support we have received, the community we have received and the feedback we have received on our products.

“So I’m so happy to finally be able to feature it in our own pop-up.”

KYLIE VERZOSA: ONE YEAR WITH SOLA

In less than a year, Kylie has successfully launched three key product lines: the Mercury Collection, including lines of shapewear, huggers and men’s clothing; the Pluto accessories collection; and the Ora by Sola collection of firming body lotions.

She and her business partners made sure to include all of this in the pop-up store.

Kylie said: “So we have our three collections here. We have the Sculpting collection, we have the Hugging collection. We have the menswear.

“And we’re launching our Ora collection, which is our first ever firming body lotion. I’m so happy and oh my god, parang, this is a dream come true!

“I only dreamed of this moment and finally it’s here.”

Kylie is particularly excited about Ora, the latest addition to her product line.

When asked to explain why they opted for body treatments this time around, she explained: “We thought… shapewear is made for your body.

“And Ora is for your skin, so you want to take care of your whole body. So it has the same benefits as shapewear on your skin.”

THE BUSINESS ERA OF KYLIE VERZOSA

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 excited to express her creativity as the brand’s creative director, but she’s also deepening her understanding of the entrepreneurial side of the business.

She told PEP: “I think creatively it’s a good way to showcase your creativity through products, through social media, through the content that you create.

“I’m the creative director of the brand, so I make sure that all the content we put out is in line with the brand or how we want people to perceive it.

“And on the entrepreneurship side, I’ve learned so much. And there’s still so much I don’t know, but I still want to learn.”

One of the biggest lessons Kylie has learned is the importance of having a good team.

She said: “I also oversee the day-to-day operations, but we have a great team. And honestly, I couldn’t do this without my team.

“They’re so good, they move so fast, they’re very precise. And I’m so happy to have them.”

Beyond her understanding of the business side of things, Kylie is committed to ensuring her lifestyle brand aligns with her mental health advocacy.

The beauty queen-actress explained: “SOLAThe message from the beginning was simply to make you feel good, whatever your size and shape.

“And we have that with the diversity of our shapewear, the styles, we’ve made sure it fits all body types.

“And with Ora, it completes the message of that. And we really want you to feel good in what you’re wearing, because it’s going to radiate outward. And look good, feel good.”

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