DUBAI: Saudi Arabian wellness collective Kayani is redefining women’s health by blending fitness, fashion, nutrition, personal care, healthy eating and learning experiences.
With a mission to combat the high rates of diabetes and obesity in Saudi Arabia, Kayanee, located in Riyadh’s Diplomatic District, encourages women to embrace a holistic approach to health.
“Kayany is 100% designed, created and executed with the purpose of encouraging and inspiring women to get active,” said Mimi Fraser, managing director of Kayany.
“To be healthy, it’s not enough to just eat and exercise,” she added. “To be healthy, you have to get your mind moving too. You have to get your body moving too. You have to get your friends and family moving too. You have to get your environment moving too.”
To achieve this, Fraser and her team built Kayanee on five pillars: physical, mental, social, environmental and economic.
“Guys like to go to the gym. They put on their headphones and just work out. Women are totally different. They want to do something with their friends. They call their friends. They’re like, ‘Let’s go to a dance class. Let’s go for a walk.’ We designed Kayanee this way because you need to work your head, your heart and your body, all at the same time.”
In addition to the usual Pilates, yoga and high-intensity interval classes, the fitness facility also offers Kayani Dance Fitness (KDF) classes in collaboration with Zumba.
KDF combines energetic rhythms with the unique music and choreography of the Arabian Peninsula, and Kayanee will provide dance classes with a special soundtrack incorporating the rhythms of the Khaleej, Darbuka (the primary drum used in belly dance music) and Dabke to provide a cardio workout that celebrates Arab culture.
“We are a Saudi brand. We value Saudi Arabian culture and Arabic culture,” Fraser said.
Besides activewear, Kayany’s fashion line includes knitted dresses, chiffon capes, pleated skirts, cashmere cardigans, formal blazers, and more, all made in Italy from recycled fabrics.
“One of the most important things consumers told us from day one, and it was really interesting, was that they were more concerned about what they were going to wear at the gym than they were about what they were going to wear to the gym and what they were going to wear leaving the gym,” she said.
“So we started out thinking we were just going to make activewear. Then, as we tried to understand the consumer and what they wanted, we found they wanted a wearable outfit that was almost ready-to-wear, but made from activewear materials. We release four collections a year that look like ready-to-wear,” she added.
The Kayanee Beauty line includes shampoos, conditioners, shower gels, body creams, facial mists, scrubs, hair oils, hair sprays and deodorants made with natural ingredients such as shea butter, sweet almond oil, rosewater, argan oil, seaweed, caffeine, coconut and rosehip oil.
They also sell supplements to improve your overall health, including Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Omega-3, Black Seed Oil, Iron, Zinc, and Organic Apple Cider Vinegar.
“We have ambitions to grow the brand locally and internationally. We want people all over the world to look at Saudi Arabian women and think, ‘Wow, is this really what Saudi women look like? Is this how they live? Is this what they like?’ Because that’s normal. We’re proud of that,” Fraser said.
