LFW: Charli Cohen’s #CCHeroAcademy

Unless you’ve spent the week hiding under your duvet then you’ll have noticed that London has been transformed into all things fashion. Cue stiletto heels, huge sunglasses and more paparazzi than a royal wedding. But when it comes to the convergence of fitness and fashion, one brand really stood out from the crowd at this year’s London Fashion Week.

Charli Cohen’s KA-POW collection is the only performance wear to been seen on the catwalk this year and the show (which took place on Sunday) boasted models of superhero proportions.

Charli explained: ‘Sport luxe has been on the catwalk for years so theoretically it’s not a huge step to move into performance wear but it’s still definitely perceived as being very novel and new – in the best possible way. It’s so exciting to be the only brand in the space doing catwalk at the moment and it really highlights the contemporary fashion edge to our collections – we think it’s the perfect context for us.’

So why did she choose to cast her models via social media?

‘I decided to Instagram-cast for the show rather than going the traditional model agency route. I think it’s fantastic to see ‘regular’ girls without conventional fashion model measurements develop such big followings and become relatable, positive role models – I want to support that. They do of course all look incredible and their audience has watched them get to where they are through social media – the excitement and pride of their fans once they revealed they’d been cast for the show was really touching,’ revealed Charli.

Naturally, the recruitment strategy was also a clever marketing strategy by the budding fashion entrepreneur.

The collection, which includes comprises of Fitness Ninja, Street Athlete and Gym to Swim; is irrefutably sport-luxe, featuring bonded seams, laser cutting and perforation.

We went behind the scenes to found out exactly what being part of the #CCHeroAcademy meant to some of the amazing models involved, many of whom were gracing the catwalk for the first time.

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Zanna van Dijk

Fitness blogger, personal trainer and fitness model

Why did you want to be part of the show?

I was part of the CC show last year and loved it. It was so fun! CC is an amazing brand [and] the clothes are incredible.

How did you prepare for the show?

I didn’t change my routine at all – I am completely content with my body. I just made sure I was nice and smooth, sleek and tanned.

How did you fuel your body pre-show?

My favourite energy filled meal is courgette oats (I know this sounds crazy). I grate courgettes finely into oats, cook them and then stir in protein powder before adding toppings. The courgette adds greens and lots of volume and the meal is packed with fibre and protein, so it kept me energised all day.

Which killer catwalk move do you recommend to keep your body in shape?

Burpee pull-ups. It doesn’t get much harder than these, but I love them.

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Hazel Wallace

Face of The Food Medic and medical student

Why did you want to be part of the show?

I walked for Charli in her Spring collection and I loved it. I really admire her style and vision – she’s so inspiring and has achieved so much for a young woman.

How did you prepare for the show?

I amped up my training and cleaned up my diet in preparation for the show. Charli dressed me in a sports bra and leggings so fingers crossed I did her proud and did the outfit justice.

How did you fuel your body pre-show?

We had a long day of hair, make-up and rehearsals before the show so I made sure I stayed hydrated with lots of water and fuelled myself with nuts and protein balls.

Which killer catwalk move do you recommend to keep your body in shape?

For supermodel legs my secret weapon is pistol squats using a TRX! This exercise targets your glutes, quads and hamstrings for beautifully toned legs.

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Emily Furey

Freelance personal trainer and instructor at Core Collective.

Why did you want to be part of the show?

I wanted to take part in the LFW show because I absolutely love the collection and as I’d never done something like that before I was really looking forward to it.

How did you prepare for the show?

I didn’t prepare that much as I’d just come back from a holiday. I basically just threw myself into training – I trained clients, I sweated in a killer velocity class and I hit a spin session straight after at Core Collective.

How did you fuel your body pre-show?

I fuelled my body before the show like I do every other day – a good healthy breakfast and a balanced lunch, which I prepared and took with me.

Which killer catwalk move do you recommend to keep your body in shape?

My killer catwalk move would be a really deep one-leg pistol squat. Great for toning up my glutes and legs before they go on show!

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Lilly Sabri

Chartered Physiotherapist and founder of Hot Bootcamp Pilates.

Why did you want to be part of the show?

To work with the incredible Charli Cohen (I absolutely love her designs). It was also amazing to finally meet & work with the other fitness bloggers, they really are incredible girls.

How did you prepare for the show?

I did lots & lots of varied training. It’s so important for me that I keep my training fun, as you can see from a lot of my videos on social media, I get bored easily.

As well as participating in my own Hot Bootcamp Pilates classes I started doing more lower body weight training to help build my glutes. I also did some plyometrics & fun cardio blasts including spin classes, HIIT & military style circuits to get my body fat percentage down.

How did you fuel your body pre-show?

I’m a big fan of juicing so the morning of the show I mixed kale, celery, spinach & frozen pineapple juice with the most amazing powder by OMG (Oh My Glow), which contains mama, acai berry, lucama, guarana and chia seeds. We were also very lucky to have had PhD & LifeBox Food Co on set while we were rehearsing, so I had plenty of yummy protein, snacks & shakes.

Which killer catwalk move do you recommend to keep your body in shape?

That’s an easy one – hanging sit ups off monkey bars. This exercise is an absolute core burner and it’s easily modified for any level.

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Adrienne Herbert

Dancer, personal trainer & mother (www.thatsmymum.com)

Why did you want to be part of the show?

I was thrilled when Charli invited me to take part in her catwalk show because I’m such a huge fan of her activewear – it’s the ultimate combination of fashion & fitness.

How did you prepare for the show?

Luckily, I have a 4-year-old son so I am very knowledgeable about superheroes and their various powers. Jude has taught me all there is to know!

How did you fuel your body pre-show?

I started the day with seeded porridge & fruit then I packed my bag with NAKD bars, dried mango & chocolate soya milk.

Which killer catwalk move do you recommend to keep your body in shape?

You can’t beat skipping if you want to work up a sweat and tone what you own!

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Kim Hartwell

Model come personal trainer, fitness instructor and fitness blogger (tonewhatyouown.me).

Why did you want to be part of the show?

I absolutely love Charli’s range of activewear, it’s ideal for my line of work as you can look and feel amazing while living life in the sweaty lane (inside or outside of the gym!). The other girls involved in the show are also a complete inspiration to me.

How did you prepare for the show?

To be honest I didn’t specifically train for the show itself, training is part of my job so I continued with my usual schedule. I usually do a mixture of weight/HIIT training, boxing and yoga, and nutrition is a big part too.

How did you fuel your body pre-show?

I tried to keep on the case with my nutrition before the show. I’m very much of a mindset that I don’t diet or restrict any particular “naughty” foods. I try to stick to clean, healthy eating 80% of the time; fall off the wagon 20% of the time and don’t feel guilty about it! Before the show I had eggs and avocado on rye with a green juice and there were lots of great energy foods at the event to power us through the superhero catwalk.

Which killer catwalk move do you recommend to keep your body in shape?

My killer catwalk move would be burpees: it’s an oldie but a goodie and definitely a full blown body blaster exercise.

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Tashi Skervin

Freelance sports journalist and writer.

Why did you want to be part of the show?

I walked in the previous show and I guess I caught catwalk fever! I love the feeling of show day, it’s a mixture of nerves and excitement and when it’s all over I feel a sense of achievement. I also really like that Charli uses her audience to model her clothes. We are just girls who are passionate about health and fitness and so is Charli and that is what her brand is all about.

How did you prepare for the show?

In preparation for the show I made sure that I drank lots of water, around 4 litres a day. I have really dry skin and water is one of the best ways to improve its appearance.  I also upped the intensity of my workouts by attending Barry’s Bootcamp 2-3 times a week.

How did you fuel your body pre-show?

I’ve been training harder so I have been eating more – lots more! My diet is high in protein, vegetables and sweet potato (I love sweet potato). Even though I was preparing for the show I still had a few treats here and there. I actually had chocolate the evening before the show… I just couldn’t help myself. I know Lilly did the same too!

Which killer catwalk move do you recommend to keep your body in shape?

Doing a fast run up a hill for about six minutes. It makes everything hurt but oh how it works.

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