By: JERMAINE CRUICKSHANK
The Vyqueen, as she is popularly called, continues to evolve and expand her footprint well beyond the gym. Known for pushing boundaries in fitness and culture, she has once again raised the bar with the launch of new pieces from her HYBRID merch line. What began as a workout movement has now firmly cemented itself as a lifestyle brand especially visible on the Carnival circuit, where Hybrid Nation has become almost synonymous with high-energy, inclusive fitness. We caught up with the queen herself for a first look at the collection and insight into the philosophy that fuels the movement.
For the Vyqueen, the right workout clothing is about far more than aesthetics. While feeling good in what you wear is important, she stresses that functionality and comfort are non-negotiable. Ill-fitting gear, she notes, can be more than a nuisance—it can actually lead to injury when people are forced to constantly adjust during exercise. One often-overlooked essential, she adds, is a solid pair of training shoes, which she considers one of the most important fitness investments anyone can make. As HYBRID continues to grow across both male and female audiences, she says the success of the movement is deeply fulfilling. Rooted in a love for fitness and culture, HYBRID has transformed exercise into a fun, communal experience, one that welcomes families, spans age groups, and adapts to all fitness levels, with intensity driven entirely by the individual.
Music and culture remain central to the HYBRID experience. When curating her workout playlists, the Vyqueen matches the rhythm to the routine power soca for high-intensity aerobics, and carefully selected tracks from soca or other genres to suit different training paces. Beyond the merch, HYBRID’s reach is already international, with activations in Japan and New York and growing interest from other territories. Each expansion, she says, is an opportunity to carry Trinidad and Tobago’s culture with her wherever she goes. And while fitness is at the core, her passion for food plays an equally important role.
The Xvibes team also heard through the grapevine that the Vyqueen is a master chef behind the scenes, though we’re still waiting to get a taste of that legendary fish broth. Naturally, we posed the question about how she balances her love for food with fitness, and her answer was refreshingly real. “Not to brag, but I can handle myself,” she laughed, adding that a love for food and fitness is actually a perfect combination. According to the queen, everything you aim to gain from your workouts must be supported by nutrition. You can’t train and not eat, she explained, and the deeper you get into fitness, the more you begin to understand how food should exist and relate in your everyday life.
