A Life in Motion with Alison Wang

Health is wealth, as they say, and to move with intention is to move with power. Whether she’s stepping in front of the camera or leading a workout class, this month’s Du Muse embodies the kind of strength and softness that leaves a lasting impression.

Meet Alison Wang: model, Pilates instructor, and content creator. Alison Wang is the kind of muse that inspires us to reconnect with ourselves and find beauty in the discipline of wellness as something that extends beyond aesthetics or trends. Through her thoughtful approach to movement, style, and everyday rituals, Alison has built a community around mindful movement and intentional living.

We meet up at Tearoom by Calmplex on East 50th street, a longtime favorite of Alison’s. The place is stunning, with a sunlit pottery studio in the front and an intimate tearoom in the back. Alison tells us that she tends to gravitate towards spots that are quiet and almost feel tucked away. To her, this tearoom feels like a little oasis in midtown. We plan to chat over hojicha and matcha then walk through Midtown to a few other hidden havens.

Hot Takes:

Wool or Silk?

Wool

Activewear or Knitwear?

Activewear

Mat Pilates or Reformer Pilates?

Mat Pilates

Matcha or Hojicha?

Matcha

Sneakers or Ballet Flats?

Sneakers

After sipping and looking through the gorgeous pottery, we head out to a hidden waterfall a few streets down. That’s right, an actual waterfall right in Midtown. It’s quiet there, and as we watch the water cascading down, beautiful sunlit reflects over the rocks.

What Du & Berry piece is the most “Alison”?

I think the cashmere polo. I wear that almost daily in the fall and in the spring I think it’s the perfect transitional piece. It has a little something something with the detail of the bow but its not trying too hard and its easy to wear with jeans and dress up or down.

How would you describe your personal style in a few words, and how has it evolved over time?

My personal style in a few words: I think organic, relaxed, a little playful. Over time I’ve started to bring out more of my inner self into my style. It’s a process of being okay with being vulnerable to allow my inner self to come out in the more playful details of my style.

When looking for a new piece for your wardrobe, what are some features or qualities you search for?

The top one is resonance. I have to look at the piece and immediately gravitate towards it. The second one is touch. I’m a very tactile person so when im shopping in a store I can tell within a millisecond if it’s a high quality piece or if its not just by the feel of it. And the third is context. Im really into brand stories and designer stories so if I feel like I have a personal connection with that brand that’s really important to me.

You are passionate about wellness. What's one practice you've found is actually worth it, and one you've learned to let go of?

Prayer is kind of the foundation of my day and it really helps to ground me in things that matter and things that are actually valuable to me and help me set my priorities straight. One wellness practice I’ve learn to let go of is fads or trends. I view wellness very holistically and in a long term way, so these things that come and go, they can be fun to experiment with but they aren’t typically things I incorporate into my daily life.

Tell us about your own fitness journey.

My fitness journey has been really really long one. I didn’t really have fitness modeled for me growing up, I tried a lot of different sports as a kid but I was never really that good at sports. So I’ve always had a really convoluted relationship with athleticism. But when I was nine or ten I discovered pilates on YouTube and I think that was my first real intro to pilates. Through the years, I struggled a lot with my relationship with food and my body so it’s taken long time to get it back to a healthy place. And I think now pilates was a huge part of that. I remember taking my first reformer class in the city and it felt so different from other movement modalities. It showed me that I could love my body for what it could do instead of what it looks like. After being in the modeling industry for several years, it was definitely a relationship that I had to explore and heal. I think it was really something I wanted to share and help other people with. I love teaching pilates bc I love helping other people feel strong and move.

Alison changes into her second look and we head over to the 550 Garden, a place she used to frequent constantly when she lived in the Upper East Side.

I ask her what advice she has for women looking to get into a healthier lifestyle. She tells me that, in the context to general wellness, you really have to figure out what works for you. It’s a huge process of experimentation.

“For women who are still on their fitness journey or kinda discovering that,” she continues, “I would encourage them to block out the noise to really sit with yourself and ask what works for you, to be patient with yourself because it’s a process. It doesn’t happen overnight. Be gentle with yourself but also challenge yourself.”

Talk about your journey from model to pilates instructor and how it’s helped you navigate the world of social media.

In terms of modeling, I was scouted when I was 14 at a train station in Amsterdam...I was a baby. Then I was signed to my first agency at 15 but nothing really materialized until I graduated from high school and college but I was really determined to make it to New York, you know, when there’s a will there’s a way. So, I graduated early from high school and college and really wanted to start my career. I signed with my current agency 3 years ago and have been working full-time as a model ever since. In terms of pilates, I was always trying to find ways of movement that made me feel good and strong. I’m at a point in my fitness journey where I’m prioritizing being strong and Pilates was just it for me. That’s also what inspired me to start creating content. I always knew I wanted to help inspire people in some way in terms of wellness but trying to figure out what that was took me a little while. I originally started creating content to share the process of becoming an instructor and that turned into a little bit more. I realized that people like to see who you are, people like to hear your story and how you perceive and move through the world, so I started sharing more of that and I’m really happy it resonates with people.

What's one small shift that has had the biggest impact on your health and happiness?

Breathwork. It’s free, it’s very easy and I think, you know, a lot of people keep their breath up here (gestures to her upper chest) the process of learning how to move it down here (gestures to her core) truly impacts your body so much. It helps with sleep, it helps with digestion, it helps with relaxation. It’s something you can do anytime, anywhere.

If you were to describe Du & Berry in three words, what would they be?

Thoughtful, practical and a little playful.

As our interview comes to a close, we rejoin the rhythmic chaos of the city. Yet, there is a newfound sense of grounding amongst us. It’s amazing what a bit of nature, great conversation and thoughtfulness can do.

Perhaps, that is one of Alison’s gifts: this thoughtful way of moving through the world, pairing beauty with depth, grace with purpose and to always seek out time to find your own little oasis, no matter where you live.