Fit Check, Food Check: Camila Ramón on Low-Rise Jeans and Empanadas

When Camila Ramón joined Peloton in 2021, she changed the trajectory of the global fitness space. As the first instructor to teach Spanish cycling classes on the platform, the Argentine-American creates the programming she wants to see in the world, complete with pulsing reggaetón playlists, improvised dance breaks, and cultural references that might seem niche to some, but resonate profoundly with Latinos who rarely see themselves represented in workout classes.

Ramón has since added strength and treadmill classes to her Peloton repertoire. Outside of her day job, she co-hosts the podcast Hasta Abajo, and she’s somehow found time to launch her singing career with newly-released tracks “No Hay Fotos” and “Lady”. Through it all, she’s remained a style icon, bringing her femme-meets-streetwear sensibilities to red carpet events — and to the Peloton studio. 

We recently took Ramón to lunch. Over sandwiches from Brooklyn’s Anthony & Son Panini Shoppe, she dished on all things fashion, food, and what it means to be a tastemaker. 

Keep reading to learn what inspires her, from the Latinas she admires to the empanadas that make her nostalgic.  

Fit check: How does being Argentine inform your sense of style?

I was an emo kid. I had the side bangs, and I also had a mullet because in Argentina, everyone was wearing that. Argentina has always had amazing jeans, and I would go to 47 Street [in Buenos Aires] and buy these mega low-rise, bootcut jeans. They were distressed in a way I hadn’t seen before. And then there were the hyper-flare pants, I had a lot of those. 

I’ve been experimenting with my fashion lately. I haven’t been limiting myself, and I’ve been super open to trying new things, like my Miista heels, my “spatula” shoes. At first, I said no to those. My stylist made me order them, but then I started making decisions on my own. I’ve been wearing a lot of cutesy socks, too.  

Food check: How does your heritage inform your tastes?

I love the Argentine corn empanadas. I take a bite out of that, and I’m like, “Oh, wow, I’m home.” In Argentina, we eat a lot of potatoes and pasta, so my mom used to make a lot of gnocchi and ravioli. My dad used to pop off on the grill. His chimichurri was actually iconic. Still, when I go to his house, he puts out this entire tray of meat and force feeds you. I do love red meat, I eat red meat a lot.

Tell me more about your entry into the music space.

My music project was a very personal one. I started working with my producer, Aloxcs, and a composer, Cyluz, who I just released the new track “Lady” with. It’s [Cyluz’s] track — he wrote all of it, he’s incredible. We started talking about what I wanted to communicate in particular tracks. With “No Hay Fotos,” it was the one track that I heard and was like, “This feels very much like me.” I was involved in the process from the jump and worked together with Cyluz and Aloxcs to create the song. I was like, “I want something that’s hyperpop, cute, that makes me want to dance.” [Aloxcs] sent me this beat like, “What do you think? I don’t really like it that much.” I was like, “I fucking love it.” I couldn’t stop moving when I heard the song. That’s how I knew it was a song I wanted to move forward with.

Because I’m in the first stages of my musical journey, a lot of the songs I choose to write are about my early relationship with my husband, Luciano. It’s very cutesy because we were young when we were dating. During a time when the world is so heavy, it’s really nice to be able to have fun and listen to cutiepie music. 

I created “Fit Check, Food Check” to connect with Latino tastemakers. What does the term “tastemaker” mean to you?

To me, I interpret that as a vibe curator. I feel like my whole life, I’ve been curating vibes. I love having my friends over, I love throwing parties, I love playing music and getting people hype. I love dancing, I love perreando. Whatever has happened in my life is a natural extension of who I am. 

Who are some tastemakers that inspire you?

My friend Vicky the Fit Chick, she is an incredible athlete and she has curated a really dope community in the fitness space. I really like the way she speaks out about important topics. Julissa Prado of Rizos Curls, I think she’s incredible at what she does. Every single party of hers that I’ve been to has been so lit. My friend Yarel Ramos is a boss, too. She’s in the media space. She’s been working at it a very long time and is absolutely killing it. My friend Jessica Molina is an icon. She is navigating the world of motherhood in a way that I haven’t seen documented before, and I respect her so much for it. 

Fashion-wise, I’m very inspired by Rosalía. I love that she talks about having the ability to reinvent yourself because people change. We don’t talk about that enough, the fact that you’re allowed to go through different etapas in your life. They don’t define you. What people think of you, what you consider to be “you,” is not where you need to stay.