VP/Cover | SKIN TO SKIN: Kylie Padilla Sheds From Past to Present

She was born in the year of the Water Rooster, but 2025 is the Year of Kylie Padilla as she lives true to the serpent’s ways—changing from one skin to another—shedding from the past to her present.

With thick scales that cover its slender body, shining in every layer of its hypnotic coil, deceitful eyes with the look of a hungry predator piercing through its prey, and a long forked tongue that moves swiftly but set to strike with venom that kills in seconds—all of these create a vivid image of a snake and the danger it brings; enough to understand its association with negativity and antagonism in many stories. It gave birth to the likes of Medusa, Valentina, Zuma, and Galema, whose presence bring nothing but fear and chaos. From the slithering snake pit of this terror emerges Kylie Padilla—truer than any of these names—owning and living by the ways of a snake, rewriting the pessimistic myth of a serpent, and breaking yet another stereotype.

“This year, it’s the snake,” Kylie quickly answered with enough conviction when I asked about her spirit animal. At first, it sounded a little strange, thinking of all the negative attributions a serpent has gained from the human mind. But Kylie sees things a little differently through the lenses of spirituality, where this creature tells the art of starting life anew.

“To live by the ways of a snake, for me, means to experience rebirth and take a step towards finding a new version of myself.”
-Kylie Padilla

As she welcomed 2025, the Year of the Wood Snake, she was met with all the hisses of negativity that hint at the mayhem that it may bring in many aspects of her life. “Ang una ko ngang narinig noong papasok na ‘yong 2025, sabi nila ‘Be careful sa year of the snake, maraming mang-aahas.’ Kylie narrates. But instead of letting the fear creep around, she stood with the fierceness of a serpent itself, approached life like one, and faced it skin to skin.

Rising Above the Waters

Although snakes remain one of the most vicious creatures, being one does not always equate to becoming dominant, especially in the dense jungle where survival is a constant struggle. But one thing is for sure, they would always strive to rise in the wild and above the waters, just as how Kylie Padilla would always choose to emerge strong in every situation even in the most grueling ones.

“I think challenging situations are made for you to go through them and grow kasi test ‘yon e, kung hanggang saan ka,” Kylie shared when asked about her perception of life’s challenges that come her way. “I think we have to look to the lessons that we learn kapag may pinagdadaanan tayo. Kapag kasi na-overcome na natin sila, we become much better people,” she added, recognizing the essence of struggles as significant players in one’s journey toward growth and maturity, and believing that enlightenment comes with every experience.

“After you go through life’s challenges, you become wiser, smarter, and sana more humble.”
-Kylie Padilla

Living true to the ways of her spirit animal, Kylie braves the struggles skin to skin. “Embrace! Embrace them! Like Angelina Jolie said, ‘Go right through it,” she says with obvious inspiration from another empowered woman just like her. With this outlook on life, Kylie pierces her fangs right through every circumstance that life brings to her table, especially when it involves the struggles that come with parenthood.

“Iyong pagiging single mom is a challenge everyday kasi ang daming aspekto talaga na kasama niya e. I’m a working and a single mom—’yong mom guilt, medyo mahirap siyang i-tackle on some days,” Kylie shared as she talked about the challenges of being a mother and a father to her children all at once, which sometimes pushes her to the edges of her limits as a human.

“Tao lang ako, kaya nakakapagod talaga siya. It’s a challenge, but I embrace it. It really helps me grow as a person. If I become a better person, then my kids will have a better mother and they will become better people. “
Kylie Padilla

Without the fear of judgment, Kylie Padilla was more than willing to reveal her vulnerable side and even the existence of her silent battles that only she could hear its deadly hisses. She showed no weakness in suffering but the power of struggling and embracing every situation to rise above the waters.

‘Shed every layer until your soul remembers’

A night before I sat down with Kylie for an interview, I randomly checked her Instagram account, where she recently shared some photos of her serpent-inspired shoots. But more than the stunning visuals, her bio caught my attention, saying, “Shed every layer until your soul remembers.” It is a familiar process that a snake goes through—ecdysis or the shedding of its old skin. On the other hand, I was certain that it was beyond a narrative of a creature’s biological process but a one-line story of Kylie Padilla living by the ways of a serpent.

“I feel like to get to the most real and honest version of you, kailangan mong mag-heal from your traumas and shed your egos para ma-reveal sa ‘yo ang totoong version mo—not the happiest version but the most authentic one.”
-Kylie Padilla

“As I grow, na-realize ko na there are parts of me na dahil sa generations trauma, na hindi pala talaga ako. I had to shed all of those para makilala ko ulit ang sarili ko in my most authentic version.”
-Kylie Padilla

As easy as it may look from other’s perspective, Kylie’s shedding is a process, taking time and requiring effort in all of its stages. “Una, nagkakaroon talaga ako ng anxiety. After that point, uupo ako and isusulat ko lahat ng nararamdaman ko sa journal—be honest with myself para mas maintindihan ko ‘yong mga nasa loob ko. Doon ko kasi nalalabas kahit ‘yong mga hindi ko masabi,” Kylie narrates the early stages of how she responds to challenging circumstances. “After no’n, iiiyak ko muna kasi somehow may denial pa e. From there, I’d meditate para tulungan ako na matanggap siya nang paunti-unti. And then I have to be creative,” She added.

Just as how every process does not happen overnight, Kylie Padilla goes through it slowly but surely, taking off every layer of her that keeps her from becoming who she is today—a person “much braver” than she ever was. True to a serpent’s way, she sheds her skin filled with scars from the past and so her soul remembers a version of herself—with more authenticity and bravery to face life head-on.

“Hindi na ako natatakot. Haharapin ko siya and I will turn to its face and say ‘Fine! If this is what I need to go through, I’ll go right through it!”
-Kylie Padilla

Kylie Padilla Stings in Authenticity

Now that Kylie has shed from one skin to another, she holds the power to slither her way out of the generational trauma and the cruel norms and standards on women that the misogynist society has set. Her existence and persistence through the struggles is a strike of her venom that kills the stereotypes. “Bilang babae kasi, pinalaki kami na tahimik at magse-say yes ka lang, ‘wag masyadong i-express ang sarili para di ka makasakit ng iba o masabihang maarte. Wala na akong gano’n,” Kylie proudly shares, tackling the liberation she enjoys today after shedding from her past.

VP/Beauty | Trending Makeup Looks for Men in 2025

“Kapag kailangan kong sabihin at kung alam ko namang tama ako at may pinanggagalingan ako and it’s authentic, then sasabihin ko. Kung kailangan siyang malaman ng isang tao, I will say it.”
-Kylie Padilla

Every truth hurts, but it sets people free, and this is what Kylie would keep on showing the world as she constantly introduces new versions of herself, even the unexpected after the sheddings. “I think ‘yong mga tao talaga, they already expect me to do the unexpected things. Pero I will stay honest with myself and hold onto the same madness people loved about me,” Kylie assures her fans and supporters. And speaking of versions, we are yet to see new faces of Kylie Padilla this year as she is set to star in two films. She also teased on a television drama “Feeling ko, sa teleserye, matutuwa ‘yong mga tao kasi it’s very familiar! Basta!”

Life has taught Kylie the ways of a serpent that reveals another version through its shedding. Likewise, her experiences molded her to become a woman who breaks away from the stereotypes and prejudices that limited them from becoming the most authentic version of themselves. Now that she has experienced liberation, she wants to set others free.

“Celebrate yourselves! You know, pat yourself on the back—physical and tell yourself “Good job!” Pwede mo ring bilihan ng something ‘yong sarili mo. Just fully embrace it. Lahat tayo maraming silent battles na hindi lang natin nako-communicate. Mental health pa lang, ang dami na nating nag-struggle, so when you survive something or go through something na na-conquer mo, celebrate yourself!”
-Kylie Padilla

Her story is a testament to how every encounter with life may leave scars on the skin but offers a season of shedding and a rebirth of one in constant persistence. Now more than ever, Kylie Padilla is ready to brave life skin to skin, constantly shedding from past to present and owning the true power of a serpent.

Styling Associates:
James Bryan Moral
Jadriel Llorca

Designer:
Alex Pigao
Morissette Magalona
Sophia Reganit
Francis Jaymart Barit
Yoriko Sundiam

Earrings from Kat Ong
Accessories from Felix Daniel Roll
Nails from Gracielle Kyla Garcia