THE woman behind rising women’s wear brand SOLA believes the conversation around harassment has long missed the point: clothing was never the problem.
For Kylie Verzosa, the issue goes beyond fashion and straight into the every day spaces women move in - including lifestyle and fitness.
The actress, beauty queen, and CEO spoke during the launch of the brand’s newest TERRA collection, a line of essentialwear that leans closest yet to casual activewear while still rooted in the label’s shapewear beginnings.
The pieces are designed to move with women, whether they are working out, training, or simply going about their day. For Verzosa, comfort and freedom of movement should not come with scrutiny.
Women hold up half the sky
Her remarks came amid renewed online criticism on controversial comments from political figures, including Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, which reignited conversations about how women are treated in public spaces.
READ: Go Hard Girls call out Sen. Estrada’s ‘inappropriate’ remark on Means
“I really hope we do not accept the recent behavior we’ve been seeing online by some leaders,” Verzosa told SPIN.ph. “We should stay mad, keep talking and fighting.”
For the 34-year-old advocate, the solution has never been telling women to dress differently.
“We don’t tell women to change their clothing,” she said. “If those malicious thoughts are in you, keep it to yourself. You should be embarrassed.”
Verzosa said the deeper issue remains safety. She believes women perform, create, and express themselves better when they feel secure in their environment.
“It’s important to have designs for women done by women. And this stems from safety,” she said. “We need to feel safe in the workplace. We need to feel safe sharing our ideas to be the best that we can be.”
While she admits there is still a long way to go, Verzosa sees signs of progress.
“I’m glad the younger generations are more aware and progressive now,” she said. “And we have spaces to be ourselves.”
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