It was important for Bandier to build something distinct in terms of her brand's retail experience. “Having spent the last few years building a retail business, without any former experience in doing so, I see myself as the ultimate consumer. I love online shopping [for the] convenience. I realized it was therefore so important to get people into a shopping environment that creates community,” Bandier told Refinery29. Creating a community vibe involved the creation of a sleek fitness studio in the retailer's flagship in NYC's Flatiron neighborhood. “I’m such a consumer — I like to keep abreast of everything in terms of shopping — but some people don’t, and if they come in and take a class, then they learn about Bandier and what we do.”The fitness studio wasn’t the initial plan, but Bandier realized there was space for it — 3,000-square-feet worth — on the space’s third floor. “We put down a great floor and all these mirrors, and now we hold 25 classes per week.” It’s a place for people to try out classes or fitness instructors with cultish fanbases, like The Class with Taryn Toomey , NW by Nicole Winhoffer and Akin’s Army. “ We wanted to enfranchise the instructors — it’s hard to find real estate [to hold fitness classes] in New York, no matter who you are, and we wanted to give them an opportunity to grow their businesses.”And while stores like Lululemon and Athleta have offered fitness classes (for free) for awhile, they’re first-come-first-serve, and usually sans the big-deal instructor. Bandier’s classes entail typical boutique-studio price tags, but are about top-notch talent: “Our classes are not free, but that’s really because we wanted to offer the best of the best,” Bandier explained. And having a place to sweat after or before you’ve shopped for clothes to sweat in seems to be paying off: In less than three months since Studio B’s inception, foot traffic at Bandier’s Manhattan flagship has doubled: Before the studio opened, the store averaged 300 to 400 people per weekend day; the addition of onsite fitness classes has ratcheted that average to 800 people per weekend day.The store’s second floor is currently being outfitted to house a lounge, with couches and a communal table for lounging around pre- or post-shopping. It’ll also host album release parties for emerging artists, called “Bandier Sessions.” Eventually, a juice bar is slated to open in the 2nd floor hang-out space, too. The music tie-in is really important to Bandier: Her background is in the music industry (she managed acts like TLC during the ‘90s, and her dad, Martin Bandier, is a successful music exec). Bandier fondly remembers when music stores like HMV, where she once helmed events, served as “places for people to launch their albums, and that space doesn’t exist anymore,” she said. Plus, music is a really big component of the fitness experience; workout classes are a major, underrated way to introduce people to new tunes. “Fitness instructors can be these really key influencers in the music industry, without even realizing it,” she said. “Rarely have I done anything fitness-wise without music on,” Bandier remarks. (Same.)As for the clothes themselves, while the retailer stocks plenty of decidedly higher-end, triple-digit leggings, Bandier stresses that the selection is broader, price-wise: “We buy for a taste level — we have $50 leggings and then maybe a $300 leggings, but the main price point is around $100.” In addition to harder-to-find indie fitness lines, Bandier stocks athletic-wear giants that predate the whole athleisure craze, like Nike and Reebok.