Latest news with #SoulCycle
Elle
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Elle
ELLE Editors Share Their Ultimate Workout Clothes And Accessories
There's a lot of stuff out there, and not all fashion pieces are created equal. Luckily, the ELLE editors know their way around a shopping rail, and when it comes to helping you find those perfect wardrobe building blocks, they're up to the task. From the new and niche brands worth knowing to high-street hits of quality, and a few vintage treasures too, our ELLE Edits showcase the very best of the season. The best activewear clothes and accessories will adapt to an array of activities, whether you're pursuing a PB in your local run club or perfecting a pose in Barre. But beyond the gym floor, the rise of WFH has seen many of us adopt athleisure as everyday wear. We now rely on sculpting leggings that wash well and will look as good when worn for Reformer as meeting friends for a weekend brunch, and trainers that deliver as highly in the style stakes as they do on a mixed trail run. The rapid growth of the UK wellness industry (said to be worth over $223 billion in 2024) has also seen a plethora of new brands enter the market since 2010. The likes of Tala, Sporty and Rich, Adanola, Varley and On have quickly amassed loyal fan bases and impressive social media followings, while LA starlets Hailey Bieber and Bella Hadid are often seen wearing athleisure separates to run errands. With many Gen Z and Millennials now choosing a run club over a debauched night out, there exists a wealth of fitness product whether you're seeking to level up in Soul Cycle, F45, Barrecore or strength training. FIND OUT MORE ON ELLE COLLECTIVE Lululemon is loved for its leggings, On counts Zendaya and Mia Regan as fans, and Adanola enlisted Kendall Jenner for an edit having seen gross profits surge by 124% in 2024. We've also witnessed the rise of the Fashion Trainer, spearheaded by Wales Bonner for Adidas, whose cult designs can reach resale prices exceeding $500. But how to choose the correct kit? When seeking separates for high intensity workouts, yoga or Pilates, look for polyester, nylon, elastane and spandex, which are known for their moisture-wicking, breathability, and stretch. More eco-conscious blends of cotton and bamboo will feel soft against the skin and suit lighter movement. Running shoes should offer flexibility and support to cushion your feet, and styles differ for trail running versus flat roads or shorter, more casual runs. As a rule, look for waterproof trainers with mesh vents on the upper to boost airflow and allow any moisture to escape, keeping your feet cooler and reducing the risk of blisters. Gait analysis is often offered free as part of the fitting service in running shoe stores and will help you choose the shoe spec best suited to your foot type, terrain and running motion. Many brands now offer multiple lengths in leggings, whether you're petite, tall, or just fancy the extra coverage, and most gymwear doesn't need to be hand-washed – just use a gentle spin at 30 degrees for a minimal time then air dry. To power up your next workout, we've enlisted a selection of seasoned ELLE editors (who favour a variety of sporting pursuits) to share their favourite gym kit and accessories. 'I alternate between Spin and Reformer classes so need flattering, comfortable leggings that suit both pastimes. With Adanola having achieved cult status (and endorsement from Kaia Gerber, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Emily Ratajkowski) I bought a pair of its Ultimate Leggings and can attest to the product name's bold promise. With a four-way stretch fabric, they have a higher waistline for extra support and contour and come in three lengths – ankle, cropped, and tall. They wash brilliantly and I've been known to pair them with slingbacks and an oversized blazer at weekends. As well as the core collection of neutral colourways like black, navy and brown, there are seasonal drops of new shades. I'll soon be adding the Wrap Over style to basket to tap into the balletcore trend.' - Esther Coombes, Senior Ecommerce Editor, Luxury 'My workouts would be nothing without my Panache sports bra. The underwired style sees me through all sorts of gym activities from rebounding to weights, Pilates to Barre. I appreciate the way it has total coverage to ensure that I am held in place throughout. I was advised during its initial fitting to size up in the band and down in the cup and would recommend you do the same.' - Naomi Pike, Commissioning Editor Paid content 'As a city dweller who travels mostly on foot, I'm keen to track my step count and sleep cycles, so the new Watch Fit 4 Pro from Huawei is high on my wish list. Akin to having a personal wellness coach on your wrist, this stylish new wearable tech tracks your sleep duration and stage chart, and offers real-time monitoring of your ECG, heart rate and oxygen levels. Ranking as one of the lightest smart watch models on the market and with up to 10 days battery time after a full charge, you can choose from three sleek colour ways (I'd opt for Titanium Blue). The Trail Running Mode, with offline contour maps, GPS guidance and terrain-specific stats may influence me to be a little more daring on a weekend run, too.' - Esther Coombes, Senior Ecommerce Editor, Luxury 'My performances in Reformer classes would be nothing without the support of my Lululemon Align tank top; it unwaveringly hoists and hugs in all of the right places so that no matter the contortion of my body, I'm supported. I couldn't be without it (and the Align leggings are fantastic too).' - Naomi May, Deputy Site Editor 'Peloton leggings are a hidden gem. The plain black pair I have are my favourites by far – no underwear visible, they never fall down, hug you the perfect amount and don't fade or bobble (and I've worn them a lot). Their sizing is inclusive (it runs from XS to 3X) and they have an amazing range of patterns and colours. They also now collab with Lululemon. I've loved lots of the sportswear I've tried from the brand, but their leggings need to be tried to be believed. You'll be converted.' - Rhiannon Evans, Site Director 'As someone who sticks mainly to heeled boots or ballet flats, I loathe to wear trainers. But when Lululemon debuted the surprisingly stylish Chargefeel 3 – with their breathable mesh upper, silhouette-smoothing sock upper and featherweight sole – I found myself wanting to wear them outside of the gym, too.' - Abigail Southan, Senior Ecommerce Editor, Fashion and Beauty 'As a Wimbledon native, I like to nod to my heritage and Ralph Lauren's collaboration with the Championships is just the ticket. As Official Outfitter of Wimbledon, Ralph Lauren launches new merch ahead of each year's tennis competition, and this preppy-inspired crew neck jumper will be perfect pre and post workout.' - Esther Coombes, Senior Ecommerce Editor, Luxury 'I never normally read too much into the name of a trainer but the On Cloudmonster 2s really do live up to theirs. Bouncy and beautifully cushioned, I can spring around the park in these and then also wear them to the office.' - Hannah Nathanson, Features Director 'You might know Spanx for its shapewear, but the legendary lingerie brand also does the most amazing activewear, too. As well as the collection's control leggings, I like to slip into this half-zip top which is ludicrously comfy. It's sweat-wicking, so you can workout in it, but I might have been known to wear it with the matching trackies to the pub too...' - Abigail Southan, Senior Ecommerce Editor, Fashion and Beauty Esther Coombes is the Senior Ecommerce Editor at Harper's Bazaar, ELLE and Esquire, overseeing luxury shopping content across fashion, beauty, travel and homes. She graduated from London College of Fashion with a First Class BA in Fashion Journalism in 2010, and has since worked at Marie-Claire, Easy Living, GLAMOUR and Women's Health. She held positions as Senior Fashion and Beauty Executive, Senior Lifestyle Executive and Content Lead during her nine years at HELLO! and HELLO! Fashion, creating editorial and branded content across the lifestyle sector and interviewing talent and experts including Lisa Eldridge, Jo Malone and Katie Jane Hughes for print and digital features. With exacting standards and a critical eye for editing new launches, she enjoys recommending readers best in class products and experiences, be that a glow-giving skin tint, a boutique hotel stay or the perfect slingback stiletto. In her spare time you can find her at a spin or reformer class or streaming the latest zeitgeisty podcast or television drama. You can follow Esther on Instagram at @esthercoombes.
Daily Mail
7 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE How 'naive' SoulCycle co-founder missed out on $90 million payday from sale of fitness chain
A new podcast exposing the secrets behind SoulCycle has revealed how the fitness chain's 'naive' co-founder Ruth Zukerman missed out on a $90 million payday from the sale of the company. The seven-part audio series, titled the Cult of Body & Soul, tracks the incredible rise and fall of the indoor cycling class that sparked a fitness craze in the the 2010s. In the first episode, SoulCycle's 2006 founding by celebrity talent agent Julie Rice and wealthy entrepreneur Elizabeth Cutler, along with their spin instructor at the time, Zukerman, is explored for the first time ever. Zukerman introduced Cutler and Rice over lunch, and together the three women decided to start the brand that would eventually become SoulCycle. However, Zukerman mysteriously left the company in 2009 to found her own rival cycling chain, FlyWheel, while Cutler and Rice went on to sell a stake of the business to Equinox for $90million each. While the trio have never publicly discussed the details around their split, Janet Fitzgerald, who is currently the Master Instructor and Senior Training Officer for SoulCycle, claimed that Zukerman never had a contract in place. 'She did not have her contract written,' Fitzgerald said on The Cult of Body & Soul. 'It's very sad and also very shocking. Maybe she thought it was so small at the time that it wasn't necessary,' she continued. 'May this be a lesson for all of us. Get that s**t in writing and don't assume that other people are gonna do right by you.' The Cult of Body & Soul host Jess Rothschild said, 'While Julie and Elizabeth were experienced businesswomen, Ruth was naive and did not have any proper legal protection in place.' Additionally, an insider close to the situation told 'After the first year of SoulCycle being open, Ruth went into a meeting all excited to finally sign her contract... she walked into the room without legal representation and walked out no longer an owner.' In a rare 2018 interview about her split from SoulCycle, a cryptic Zukerman told the Jewish Journal, 'Whenever you're going into a business partnership with anybody, make sure you're legally protected.' She added, 'I did not do that and it cost me a lot.' Rice and Cutler have also kept quiet about the split, telling the New York Times in 2020, 'Ruth worked with us for a time. We decided to part ways. We wish her the best.' has contacted Rice, Cutler and Zukerman for comment. At its peak, SoulCycle was adored by the wealthy and elite and boasted a celebrity clientele that included Lady Gaga, Lena Dunham, Nicole Kidman, Chelsea Clinton, Oprah Winfrey, Vanessa Hudgens, Alec and Hilaria Baldwin, and more. Throughout The Cult of Body & Soul, listeners will hear from notable long-term instructors, anonymous studio managers, front desk staff, corporate employees, and devoted clients who made SoulCycle the fastest-growing fitness studio in the country. As one instructor described it, 'SoulCycle was the Soho House of fitness. It's where exclusivity met self-help guru. There was nothing like it.' Another said, 'A lot of the instructors partied hard - I mean, partied hard.' 'So the young ones would stay out all night doing God knows what - a lot of drugs - and then coming in, popping an Adderall and then, like, getting on the bike spinning a million miles an hour.' Others discuss the celebrity status that some of SoulCycle's more famous instructors were able to achieve. 'I am so adored by this community, I can say whatever the f**k I want, I can do whatever the f**k I want,' boasted one. 'We were all hot and wild, and some of us homewreckers,' she added. The first episode of the Cult of Body & Soul drops on Tuesday, May 27.
Daily Mail
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
SoulCycle's biggest secrets revealed as former instructors come clean about iconic fitness chain
A new podcast is promising to expose the outrageous secrets behind the legendary boutique fitness chain SoulCycle. The seven-part audio series, titled the Cult of Body & Soul, will track the spectacular rise of the high-octane indoor cycling class that became a sensation in New York City throughout the 2000s. At its peak, SoulCycle was adored by the wealthy and elite and boasted a celebrity clientele that included Lady Gaga, Lena Dunham, Nicole Kidman, Chelsea Clinton, Oprah Winfrey, Vanessa Hudgens, Alec and Hilaria Baldwin, and more. 'It was club culture meets fitness meets guru meets self-help,' explains narrator and creator Jess Rothschild in the trailer. Throughout the series, listeners will hear from notable long-term instructors, anonymous studio managers, front desk staff, corporate employees, and devoted clients who made SoulCycle the fastest-growing fitness studio in the country. As one instructor described it, 'SoulCycle was the Soho House of fitness. It's where exclusivity met self-help guru. There was nothing like it.' Another said, 'A lot of the instructors partied hard - I mean, partied hard.' 'So the young ones would stay out all night doing God knows what - a lot of drugs - and then coming in, popping an Adderall and then, like, getting on the bike spinning a million miles an hour.' Others discuss the celebrity status that some of SoulCycle's more famous instructors were able to achieve. 'I am so adored by this community, I can say whatever the f**k I want, I can do whatever the f**k I want,' boasted one. 'We were all hot and wild, and some of us homewreckers,' she added. In addition to the wild lives of the instructors, the series will also dive into the scandalous story behind the birth of SoulCycle and how original co-founder Ruth Zukerman was pushed out of the deal. The first episode of the Cult of Body & Soul drops on Tuesday, May 27. Back in 2020, four top instructors were accused of bad behaviour, with the allegations ranging from fat-shaming to making offensive comments. The allegations came to light in a report from Business Insider. A SoulCycle spokesperson told in an emailed statement at the time: 'At SoulCycle, our priority has always been to build a community centered on our core values of diversity, inclusion, acceptance and love. 'When we receive complaints or allegations related to behavior within our community that does not align to our values, we take those very seriously and both investigate and address them. 'We are committed to continuing to make improvements and ensuring that we live up to the values that our teams and riders expect of us.'
WIRED
27-04-2025
- WIRED
The Parallelle Traveller Is the Best Makeup Toiletry Bag I've Ever Used
If a Transformers toy existed for grown women, it would be Parallelle's Traveller series of toiletry bags. Ribbed on the outside like Optimus Prime's boots, the Traveller looks like a typical (albeit stylish) makeup bag on the outside, but peer inside and you'll see a warren of different-sized pockets and loops and adjustable dividers. Unzip the bag all the way around, fold the sides down, and voila—there are all your travel toiletries, standing upright and fully in order, in a makeup organizer just like you'd have at home. When you're done, flip the sides up, pull the zippers back to the top, and it's back to being a travel bag, sturdy and secure enough to toss in a suitcase sideways or even upside down. Keep It Contained The Traveller is the brainchild of Annie Fan, a career designer of private-label bags for other brands. She liked to take a SoulCycle spin class before work, but found herself either forgetting her makeup and toiletries, being unable to find them in her bag, or having to lay out all her items on the communal counter. In 2022, she set out to design her own bag: the ultimate travel cosmetics bag. 'When I started designing the Traveller, structure was key,' Fan says. 'It needed to function like a portable vanity—keeping everything visible, secure, and exactly where you need it, without the need to unpack.' As for the design procedure, it was a matter of constant fine-tuning. She ultimately went through 60 prototypes to ensure she got the design precisely the way she wanted it. "Every detail had to be carefully considered, from the flexibility of the layout to how everything stays organized and accessible,' Fan says. Today, there are now four sizes of Traveller, all with the same sturdy, vegan leather and water-resistant cotton exterior. There's the Small, with nine pockets, two divided compartments, two mesh pouches, and five loops for brushes or other items; Medium, with 16 pockets, three divided compartments, and four mesh pouches; and Large, with 20 pockets, three divided compartments, and six new pouches. There's also a new 'Brush' version, which stands 9.6 inches tall and has 13 wall pockets for brushes and other toiletries, a zippered pouch, and a spacious 'floor' for full-size products. Photograph: Kat Merck Road Tested I tested the Medium and Brush Travellers on a recent five-day family trip to both a hotel and Airbnb in Louisiana, and I can confirm both serve as a veritable clown car of skin-care products and makeup. Once I arrived at my destination, I placed a Traveller on the bathroom counter, unzipped and peeled the sides down like a banana, and there were all my products—fully visible, no worse for wear from being tossed around in my suitcase, and easy to grab and replace. Even though I have tested more than 20 toiletry bags in the past year, I was still impressed. Photograph: Kat Merck
Washington Post
31-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
Is our health and wellness obsession ... making us unwell?
A fitness influencer's video of his over-the-top morning routine racked up nearly 1 billion views. Social media is fueling new levels of obsession with health and wellness. On the latest episode of 'Impromptu,' columnists Drew Goins, Molly Roberts and Ted Johnson discuss whether our culture's endless appetite for wellness fixes is in fact healthy. Use the audio player or The Post's 'Impromptu' podcast feed to listen to the entire conversation. Molly Roberts: We've had fitness influencers and wellness influencers for a long time. We may not all remember Jane Fonda or Richard Simmons in the '80s, taking advantage of what was then a very new technology: VHS tapes. But we've all heard about them. Then, of course, there were the culty fitness phenomena like CrossFit and SoulCycle in the 2000s, which I remember vividly. But the market has really boomed more recently, and it's not hard to see why. How has social media changed the way we obsess over and engage with fitness, diet, body image? Theodore R. Johnson: Social media allows you to pinpoint exactly what you're looking for, and it gives you a range of people to watch. I think that's what makes social media particularly effective. These influencers are very good at getting just the right lighting and angles and outfits to make fitness look fun and attractive. People don't just want the body. They also want the aesthetic, the look, the feel of the fitness influencer lifestyle. Drew Goins: We're encountering this more and more. While you might have caught an infomercial back in the '80s and the '90s, you're just seeing it every time you open your phone now. Molly: Jane Fonda could be Jane Fonda because she was Jane Fonda. We knew her. Gwyneth Paltrow managed to make something alluring, even when it was called Goop, because she was Gwyneth Paltrow. And now basically anyone can turn him- or herself into a minor internet celebrity with just a little finesse, a little knowhow. That also lets them market in a manner that's more accessible to everyday people. So not only can they capitalize on the idea of what wellness is, but they can also promote things that are actually within reach. Drew: The democratization part is interesting because I think we want to show off our own wellness. We're certainly not making any money from doing this. We're doing all this marketing because we want to project wellness. If it's a competition, I want other people to see that I'm in first place. Theodore: Wellness suggests you're comfortable in your skin or that there's a healthy component. But you spoke about the democratization of it, and I'm really fascinated by the industry it's created. Capitalism has gotten a hold of the wellness industry and blown it up. And it makes everything pathological. 'Oh, does your arm hurt? Try these five exercises with this new band and your your pain will go away.' The money is never in fixing what's broken. It's in the practice of addressing things that you don't like about yourself. I don't know if anyone ever says, 'You know what, I did wellness stuff and now I'm well, and I'm going to go live my life.' That is the point you never get to. It's the journey or the pursuit — and that is also where the economic opportunity is for the influencers. Listen to the whole conversation here:
