All images courtesy Sofi&Co Family
How a philosophy born in Bali found its way to the top of the Empire State Building—and is now preparing to debut at Los Angeles Swim Week.
Some fashion brands are born with a business plan.
Others begin with a sketchbook.
Sofi&Co Family began with a question.
What if clothing wasn’t designed for a single moment of the day, but for an entire life?
What if one outfit could move effortlessly from a morning workout to a long-haul flight, from a coffee meeting to a rooftop dinner, from an ordinary afternoon to one of the most unforgettable moments a woman will ever experience?
Years ago, while living in Bali, designer and entrepreneur Sofiia Shcherbakova Babakekhyan wasn’t thinking about building another activewear company. The world already had enough leggings, sports bras and matching sets. What interested her was something much deeper: the relationship between comfort and confidence.
Sofi&Co Family
Surrounded by the island’s culture of mindfulness, freedom and simplicity, she began imagining clothing that could become a trusted companion rather than a costume. Pieces that wouldn’t ask women to become someone else—but would allow them to feel completely themselves, wherever life happened to take them.
That philosophy became Sofi&Co Family.
Today, the brand has grown far beyond its Balinese roots. Worn by women across the United States, Europe and beyond, Sofi&Co Family has quietly built a loyal community that sees clothing not as fashion alone, but as a reflection of a lifestyle built on courage, authenticity and movement.
Then came the moment no one could have predicted.
When world-renowned urban climber Angela Nikolau climbed to the top of the Empire State Building, millions of people around the world followed the story in real time. At the summit, she said “yes” to a marriage proposal before the extraordinary adventure took yet another unexpected turn, making headlines across international media.
Throughout the entire story—from the climb itself to one of the most talked-about proposals of the year—Angela was wearing the now-iconic Proposal Catsuit by Sofi&Co Family.
It wasn’t a paid campaign.
It wasn’t a planned collaboration.
It was something much more powerful.
A real woman chose a real piece of clothing for one of the most extraordinary days of her life.
In that moment, Sofi&Co Family stopped being simply a fashion label. It became part of history.
Now, the brand is preparing for another defining chapter.
This August, Sofi&Co Family will present its first-ever runway collection at Los Angeles Swim Week, introducing ten original looks that reflect the essence of modern femininity—strength without rigidity, elegance without discomfort, and confidence without compromise.
Ahead of this milestone, we sat down with founder and creative director Sofiia Shcherbakova Babakekhyan to discuss courage, entrepreneurship, movement, and why she believes fashion should never tell women who they need to become.
Q: People often describe Sofi&Co Family as an activewear brand. Yet after speaking with you, it feels like that definition barely scratches the surface. How do you describe the brand today?
Sofiia Shcherbakova Babakekhyan:
I actually smile every time someone calls us an activewear brand because, while technically that’s where many people first discover us, it has never been the heart of what we do.
I didn’t create Sofi&Co Family because I wanted women to have another outfit for the gym. There are already countless brands doing that exceptionally well. What I felt was missing was clothing designed for real life—the kind of life that doesn’t fit neatly into categories.
Think about a woman’s day. She might begin with Pilates, answer emails over coffee, rush to the airport, meet clients, have dinner with friends, then end the evening watching the sunset from a rooftop. Why should she have to change her identity every few hours?
To me, clothing should move with you, not ask you to adapt to it.
The word “movement” is central to our philosophy, but I don’t mean physical movement alone. I mean emotional movement. Personal growth. Reinvention. Courage. Every meaningful chapter of our lives begins with a decision to move forward, even when we don’t feel ready.
That’s what Sofi&Co Family represents.
Not sportswear.
A mindset.
Q: You’ve said that Sofi&Co Family isn’t just about clothing—it’s about movement. Interestingly, your brand’s journey seems to reflect that philosophy. It was born in Bali, has grown into an international label, and is now based in Los Angeles. Looking back, do you think that journey shaped the brand as much as you shaped it?
Sofiia Shcherbakova Babakekhyan:
Absolutely. Looking back now, I realize that the journey and the brand became inseparable. Every country, every challenge and every new beginning taught me something that eventually found its way into our collections.
Bali was where everything started. People often imagine Bali as a tropical paradise, but for me it became a place of clarity. It slowed me down enough to ask myself important questions. What does freedom actually feel like? Why do some clothes make us feel confident while others make us feel like we’re wearing a costume? Why do women so often sacrifice comfort in order to look beautiful?
Living there changed my perspective completely. I realized that true luxury isn’t about complexity. It’s about ease. It’s about putting something on in the morning and never thinking about it again because it simply works. It supports your life instead of restricting it.
That became the foundation of Sofi&Co Family.
Then life brought me to Los Angeles, a city with a completely different energy. It’s ambitious, fast-moving and full of dreamers. Suddenly I found myself surrounded by entrepreneurs, artists, athletes and creators who were constantly building something bigger than themselves. That energy pushed me to think internationally.
Today, when I look at our community, I don’t see customers from different countries. I see women connected by the same mindset. Whether she lives in California, London, Milan or Dubai, she wants exactly the same thing. She wants to feel free, comfortable and confident enough to live life on her own terms.
That’s why I often say that Sofi&Co Family isn’t defined by geography. It’s defined by values.
Q: Your manifesto says something that really stood out to us: “Movement isn’t running. It’s the decision to never stop moving forward.” That’s a powerful statement. What does it mean to you personally?
Because I think we’ve all misunderstood what courage looks like.
People imagine courage as something extraordinary—climbing mountains, starting billion-dollar companies or doing something heroic. Those moments certainly exist, but I don’t think they’re where courage begins.
Courage begins much earlier.
It begins when you decide to have a difficult conversation instead of avoiding it. When you choose to leave a relationship that no longer reflects who you are. When you move to another country knowing you’ll have to build everything from scratch. When you decide to believe in yourself before anyone else does.
I’ve experienced many of those moments myself, and I’ve learned something important: fear never disappears.
People often tell themselves, “I’ll start when I feel ready.”
But what if that feeling never comes?
What if confidence isn’t something you wait for, but something you create by taking the first step?
That idea became the philosophy behind our brand.
I don’t want women to look at Sofi&Co Family and think, “This will make me fearless.”
That’s impossible.
I want them to think, “I’m scared—but I’m going anyway.”
To me, that’s real confidence.
Q: This year, millions of people saw Angela Nikolau wearing Sofi&Co Family during one of the most extraordinary moments of her life. The climb to the top of the Empire State Building, the proposal, and everything that followed instantly became international news. What went through your mind when you realized your brand had become part of that story?
Honestly, my first emotion wasn’t excitement.
It was gratitude.
Angela could have worn any brand in the world, yet she trusted ours during one of the most physically and emotionally demanding experiences imaginable.
Think about what that actually means.
She climbed one of the most recognizable buildings on Earth. Every movement mattered. Every detail mattered. Comfort wasn’t a luxury—it was essential.
And then, unexpectedly, that climb became one of the most talked-about love stories of the year.
Suddenly millions of people weren’t looking at a fashion campaign. They were witnessing a real human moment. When I saw those photographs, I realized something beautiful. The catsuit wasn’t the story.
Angela was.
Love was.
Courage was.
Our clothing simply became part of that memory. As a designer, that’s probably the greatest compliment I could ever receive. Because I’ve never wanted to create clothes that people photograph once and forget.
I’ve always wanted to create pieces that quietly accompany people through the moments they’ll remember forever. That’s exactly what happened.
And I think that’s why so many people connected with the story. It wasn’t manufactured. It wasn’t planned. It was authentic. Authenticity is impossible to fake.
