I have many thoughts on the rise of ultra-exclusive Reformer Pilates studios in London (and beyond). Suffice it to say, I’m not generally a fan. As someone who has regularly attended Reformer classes for close to a decade, I’ve been delighted to see Joseph Pilates’ method go from niche to mainstream, and benefited from the lower prices, widened availability and countless new studios that have come with it.
But on the flip-side, something else has crept in alongside that accessibility: a glossy, exclusionary rebrand that feels increasingly at odds with the method’s original intent.
In certain high-end corners of London, a new style of Reformer Pilates studio has begun to emerge, where access is strictly by invitation or referral-only, and membership has become a status symbol in and of itself. Inside, it’s all fancy furnishings, influencers in designer sets, Instagram-worthy photo opps, and the workout itself a far cry from the effective, highly technical, rehabilitation-rooted practice that Joseph originally developed—and more often than not, secondary to the mirror selfie that inevitably follows.
In short: more flex than function, in my experience at least.
I Tried the Pilates in the Clouds Reformer Studio as It Finally Opens to The Public
There is one spot, however, that I’ve found to be the exception to this rule, and that is Pilates In The Clouds. Founded in 2014 by Los Angeles-born Pilates instructor Lauren Masaoka, it has been London’s most sought-after Reformer studio for more than a decade—and by far the most exclusive, but not simply for the sake of it.
Based in Notting Hill, Pilates In The Clouds has no signage or published address purely for privacy reasons, given its clientele spans A-list celebrities, models, actors, dancers, business heavyweights and generally some of the world’s wealthiest people.
It also has a hundreds-strong waiting-list, making it practically impossible to get into—especially given that most classes are one-to-one, or at the very most limited to a maximum of three people, with an elevated price-tag to match. Again, this isn’t to manufacture scarcity, but because Masaoka is a firm believer in the importance of form, precise attention to detail, and tailoring movements to the individual for the best results—as it always should be, in my opinion.
It’s precisely this hyper-personalised approach and world-class teaching that have drawn such an impressive clientele, as opposed to a desire to simply ‘be seen’ there, although the studio’s picturesque skyline views and serene atmosphere are certainly photo-worthy, and have inevitably done the rounds of Instagram over the years.
Always ahead of the curve, however, Masaoka is now bucking the trend for ever-increasing exclusivity by opening Pilates In The Clouds’ first properly public-facing studio in Harvey Nichols. “We’ve had a waitlist at Notting Hill for quite some time, so we’ve been looking for a second location for a while,” she explains. “It’s definitely been a challenge to find a space that lives up to our name of being ‘in the clouds’!” So when the iconic Knightsbridge department store offered her a space as part of its new wellness offering—and on the fourth floor to boot—it felt like the perfect opportunity.
The newly opened studio is every bit as chic as the original, complete with fresh flowers, huge mirrors, elegant furnishings, a pick-n-mix station and bespoke, state-of-the-art equipment made specially in the US. More importantly, though, it follows the same method. Instructors are all fully comprehensive-certified, classes are capped at six people, and teaching remains highly personalised.
The machines are all Cadillacs, too, making Pilates In The Clouds the only studio in London to offer all-Cadillac classes. As Masaoka explains: “The Cadillac was Joseph Pilates’ favourite invention, and for good reason. I wanted to make it more accessible with this studio, while still maintaining precision instruction.”
Another fun fact—they have a private two-machine room at Harvey Nics, where all of the mats and blocks are Dior.
At £59 for a group class, it’s still a far cry from your local Reformer studio—but that’s not really the point. Yes, it’s a hefty investment, but for the personalised, hands-on approach and calibre of teaching on offer, you’re not going to find much better. Snapping your own iconic hanging stretch photo? That’s just a fun, added bonus.
Book now at pilatesintheclouds.com
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