Crucially, the classes — which now run three times a week, after scaling back during the pandemic — are open to the entire company. It’s not mandatory, so people can easily opt out if they’re too busy or decide it isn’t for them, but most partake in some way. “Everyone works out together, all the different departments,” says Kamali, noting that the classes are free for staff, and they get paid for their time, too, removing the barriers to entry. “The shipping people, the sample people, the people who clean, the people who make the patterns. There’s no division whatsoever and a really nice feeling after. It always starts the most wonderful conversations.”
Physique 57 trainers are “so sweet” but “they can really kill”, says Kamali.
In-person sessions are live streamed for customers. Physique 57 still holds a regular slot, but Kamali likes to mix things up from time to time, bringing in visiting trainers from across the world. Sometimes, she swaps trainers for comedians. Recently, she invited a movement coach known online as Leo Moves to hold a class at her studio. “He does animal flow, where you move like different animals,” says Kamali. “It’s really hard but it’s so good.”
For Kamali, the classes are a way to build both physical and mental resilience in her team. “When I turned 60, I remember thinking: I’m very flexible, why do I not know how to do the splits? I took a couple of weeks to learn really good form and do the splits. It’s the funniest thing, because people are always so impressed by it, even though I can do much harder, better things,” she says. “But the point is that I set myself a goal and I achieved it. Every single member of my team that turns up to these classes is doing the same thing: they are setting a goal and proving to themselves that they can achieve it. It reinforces the goals they meet in their work, which I think is really important. I want to nurture that and see them grow.”
