Lorna Jane
Australian manufacturer and retailer of women's activewear
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lorna Jane is an Australian women's activewear brand headquartered in Brisbane, Queensland. The company was founded in 1989 by Lorna Jane Clarkson (née Smith) and her husband Bill Clarkson, with the first retail store opening in Brisbane's CBD in 1990.9[18] The brand is one of Australia's largest women's activewear retailers, operating 116 stores across Australia and New Zealand as of 2025, with a retail presence in South East Asia.8
| |
 Headquarters at Eagle Farm | |
| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | 1989 |
| Founder | Lorna Jane Clarkson and Bill Clarkson |
| Headquarters | , Australia |
Number of locations | 116 |
| Key people | Lorna Jane Clarkson (Founder & Chief creative officer) Bill Clarkson (Founder) |
| Products | Athletic apparel |
| Revenue | AUD$ 223 million< |
| Owners |
|
Number of employees | 1,800[1] (2015[1]) |
| Website | lornajane |
The company is led by Chief Executive Officer Anna Fowler [2] who was appointed in early 2023. Founder Lorna Jane Clarkson continues as Chief Creative Officer.8 The Clarkson family has been the sole owner of the business since March 2020, when the founders reacquired a 40 per cent stake previously held by private equity firm CHAMP Ventures for AU$28 million.3
Lorna Jane has been recognised as a leader in ethical manufacturing and circularity within the Australian fashion industry. In 2025 it became the first brand participating in Oxfam Australia's 'What She Makes' campaign to achieve payment of a living wage to all workers in its supply chain.12[3] The company is a Foundation Member of Seamless, Australia's national clothing product stewardship scheme.13 Baptist World Aid Australia's 2024 Ethical Fashion Report recognised Lorna Jane as the second most-improved brand among more than 100 Australian fashion businesses, with a 20.3-point increase in its score since 2022.14
Products
Lorna Jane produces and sells a wide range of garments, including tights, sports bras, tops, shorts, pants, jackets and hoodies, shoes, and various accessories.[4] The brand releases new collections on a fortnightly basis and maintains a year-round core 'Essentials' range.
Lorna Jane Clarkson has articulated a consistent view that activewear has moved from a niche fitness category to a central part of everyday women's wardrobes - a shift she attributes to changing attitudes toward health, movement, and the blurring of boundaries between athletic and everyday dress.75
In a 2024 profile in Forbes Australia, Clarkson outlined her view of where the activewear market is heading: toward greater technical innovation in fabric performance, designs that move between exercise, work, and social settings, and increasing consumer demand for garments that combine durability with style.7 Marketing Magazine described this philosophy as the driving force behind Lorna Jane's position as a pioneer of activewear as a distinct fashion segment in Australia.31 The Australian Financial Review has characterised Clarkson as the originator of activewear as a mainstream category in Australia, with the brand spanning 37 years of operation.52
Speaking to Inside Retail in February 2025, CEO Anna Fowler described the brand's approach to product innovation: "Activewear is not occasion based, it is what she wears every day. When a product plays that role, the expectation is higher. It needs to hold up, and that is where our focus has always been."23
Clarkson has also been recognised in the Australian Financial Review's coverage of fitness habits among top Australian entrepreneurs, illustrating the convergence of the brand's product philosophy with the lifestyle its founder publicly embodies.6
The company’s signature style is the Lotus legging, produced in bike short, ankle biter, 7/8, full-length and flared versions and made from the Nothing 2 See Here fabric. Body+Soul described Lorna Jane in 2023 as "a cult brand" and reported that a pair of Lotus leggings was being sold approximately once every minute, a sales rate that has been widely cited in Australian media coverage of the brand.56 news.com.au covered the Lotus range in a dedicated 2023 product feature.6
In the 2024–25 financial year, Ragtrader reported that the Thermal Legging had become the company’s best-selling style, with approximately one pair sold every four minutes at peak. The "All Day Active Mid Rise Pant" was also reported as a strong new performer.1
The Amy Phone Pocket Tech Ankle Biter Legging uses the company’s patented Active Core Stability design and twin phone pockets, and is covered by the company’s "Advantage Plus+" 12-month quality assurance program. A Marie Claire article called Lorna Jane out as one of the 6 best sustainable sports brands on the market.[5]
History
Foundation
Lorna Jane Clarkson was born in Lancashire, England, in November 1964 and emigrated to Australia with her family as a child. Working as an aerobics instructor in Queensland during the 1980s, she found the available workout clothing unsatisfactory in both function and style, and without formal training in garment production began sewing her own activewear. After her students began requesting she make pieces for them, she and her husband Bill opened the first Lorna Jane retail store in 1990 at Broadway on the Mall in Brisbane's CBD. Forbes Australia has described the company's trajectory as a journey "from side hustle to global phenomenon".35
The Lorna Jane corporate website credits Clarkson with coining the term "activewear" in 1989.10 The Merriam-Webster dictionary, however, places the first known usage of the word in 1924.[17]
The company logo is three rhombuses, each with two of its opposing corners curved. The shape represents a stylised "L" and "J" joined together.[6]
Early Growth (1990s–2008)
Through the 1990s the brand expanded across Queensland. By 2000 the business had outgrown its original premises; the Clarksons sold their family home to purchase a building in Fortitude Valley for AU$465,000, which appreciated to approximately AU$4 million within two years and provided collateral for further growth. Reflecting on the period, Clarkson has described the discipline of self-funded growth as central to the company's culture and long-term stability.5
Expansion with CHAMP Ventures (2010–2014)
In April 2010, private equity firm CHAMP Ventures acquired a 40 per cent stake in the business, enabling national and international expansion.9 At the time of the investment, the company had grown from 32 to 72 stores in three years.9 The brand's first United States store opened in Malibu, California in March 2012. By 2013 Lorna Jane held a 9.4 per cent share of the Australian athletic clothing market.[7][8]
Historic Initiatives
Following the 2010–11 Queensland floods, Lorna Jane launched a 'Swap Shop' initiative under which customers could exchange used activewear of any brand for store credit, with the collected clothing donated to the Salvation Army. Originally intended as a one-week programme, it was extended permanently. By 2017, more than 45,000 garments had been donated through the scheme.[18]
Sale Explorations (2014–2019)
In early 2014, the Clarksons and CHAMP Ventures considered an initial public offering at a reported target valuation of AU$500 million.19 After deciding against a float, the company ran a sales process that attracted interest from more than 40 prospective buyers, including Under Armour, Foot Locker and European private equity firm Permira.The Clarksons ultimately withdrew from the process, and CHAMP retained its stake. A second sales process was explored in approximately 2019 but was also pulled before completion.3[9][10][11]
Family Ownership Restored (2020)
In March 2020, shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted non-essential retail in Australia, the Clarksons bought back CHAMP Ventures' 40 per cent stake for AU$28 million, valuing the business at AU$70 million.3 In a 2024 Australian Financial Review profile, Clarkson discussed the company's preference for debt-free, self-funded growth following the buyback, characterising financial independence as a deliberate strategic principle.5
Recent Operations (2021–present)
Following the buyback, the company rationalised its store network, focusing on Australia, New Zealand, and South East Asia, and wound down US operations during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. As of 2025 the brand operates 116 stores across Australia and New Zealand, including 11 stores in New Zealand.[8] The Australian network includes a wholesale presence in 160 Rebel Sport stores and through online retailer The Iconic.208
In September 2025, Lorna Jane Clarkson personally acquired the SOMA wellness retreat in the Byron Bay hinterland, New South Wales, marking an expansion of the wider Lorna Jane brand into experiential wellness.4 The property had previously been used as a filming location for the television series Nine Perfect Strangers.8
Leadership
Lorna Jane is led by Chief Executive Officer Anna Fowler, who was appointed to the role in early 2023.8 Fowler joined the company in 2007 and previously served as Chief Operating Officer, a role in which she oversaw the brand's expansion from 26 to more than 150 stores and its entry into international markets.36 She holds a Bachelor of Business (Human Resource Management) from Queensland University of Technology. (36) Founder Lorna Jane Clarkson continues as Chief Creative Officer, and her husband and co-founder Bill Clarkson remains involved in the business.[10][28] The Clarkson family retains full ownership of the company.https://www.afr.com/companies/retail/lorna-jane-is-lorna-... [3]]
Clarkson has authored six books on health and wellbeing, including Move, Nourish, Believe: The Fit Woman's Secret Revealed (2011) and NOURISH — The Fit Woman's Cookbook (2014). She has been the subject of a Forbes Australia cover story examining the company's growth from a Brisbane startup to an international brand,[35] and has been profiled by the Australian Financial Review, Forbes Australia, InStyle Australia, the New Zealand Herald, and Australian Women's Weekly, reflecting her standing as one of Australia's most recognised female entrepreneurs.73430243229
Sustainability and ethical sourcing
We are active Citizens
From 2024, Lorna Jane consolidated its environmental, social and governance work under a framework called "We Are Citizens."4 The framework is organised around four United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and prioritises ethical labour practices, responsible material sourcing, and circularity, according to CEO Anna Fowler in an interview with Inside Retail in February 2025.4 [12]
Seamless Foundation Member (2023)
In June 2023, Lorna Jane was named one of the six foundation members of Seamless, Australia’s first national clothing product stewardship scheme, led by the Australian Fashion Council with support from the NSW Environment Protection Authority. The other foundation members were BIG W, David Jones, R.M. Williams, Rip Curl, and The Iconic. Each foundation member contributed A$100,000 to the 12-month transition phase.8910 In an International Women’s Day 2024 interview with Ragtrader, Clarkson said the decision to sign off the investment reflected her view that circularity was "a dream that I feel we need to get together as a country and work on."10 [13]
Pre-loved Resale Marketplace (2025)
In April 2025, Lorna Jane launched a company-operated pre-loved resale marketplace, reported by Ragtrader, 7News, and Fashion Journal as one of the first brand-owned resale platforms in the Australian activewear category.111213 [14]
Lorna Jane's website reiterates the brand's commitment to sustainable practices including production and sourcing.[15] They have one principal source of production that they have been working with for more than 28 years.
Living Wage (2025)
In 2025, Oxfam Australia reported that Lorna Jane had become the first brand in its "What She Makes" company tracker campaign to complete a wage gap analysis, implement back-pay, and achieve payment of a living wage to all workers at its sole manufacturing partner. According to Oxfam’s economic justice lead Nayeem Emran, quoted in Ragtrader, the milestone was "a significant" one, and Oxfam was encouraging other brands to follow.14 Lorna Jane’s manufacturing partner, Active Apparel Group, produces approximately 97 per cent of the brand’s apparel at an exclusively owned factory in China that is certified as a B Corporation.14 [16]
The company prides itself for providing superior conditions for its factory workers,[10] and claims that as few as three workers fail to return from Chinese New Year each year, when the norm for factories in the region is "hundreds".[10] Workers refer to the factories as "Lorna Land".[10] Lorna Jane production is WRAP Gold Certified but because they did not respond to their survey, the 2016 Ethical Fashion Guide produced by Baptist World Aid Australia rated Lorna Jane as "D" grade for not completing the survey.[17] Executive marketing and e-commerce manager Jessie Dean told Australian broadcaster the ABC that "It is important to us that our manufacturing source reflects who we are as a brand and our active living philosophy. We continually work to ensure that our workplace code of conduct protects the welfare of every employee and their environment."[18] Clarkson says she would prefer to be still manufacturing in Australia, but the closure of Australian fabric mills and a lack of government support for the clothing industry made that impossible to sustain.[10]
Community Partnership
parkrun Australia and New Zealand (2024–2026)
In July 2024, Lorna Jane announced a two-year partnership with parkrun Australia and parkrun New Zealand. The parkrun AU blog reported the partnership covered more than 500 weekly 5 km events across both countries and aimed to encourage women’s participation in regular exercise. At the time of the announcement, parkrun stated that approximately 600,000 women and girls had participated in parkrun events in Australia and New Zealand.15 [19]
Encoreship (2024)
In 2024, Lorna Jane partnered with Encoreship, an Australian program supporting women returning to the workforce after extended breaks, as an employer participant. Ragtrader reported the partnership as part of the company’s broader focus on women-in-work programs.16 [20]
Women’s Community Shelters
Women’s Community Shelters — an Australian charity that partners with local communities to open and operate shelters for women and children experiencing homelessness or domestic violence — is the company’s primary charity partner. Lorna Jane Clarkson’s Never Give Up podcast donates A$5,000 per episode to a charity chosen by the guest or, by default, to Women’s Community Shelters, according to Mumbrella.17 [21]
Controversies
Controversy over job advertisement
In July 2015, the company experienced a backlash over an advertisement for a job vacancy on Seek for a "receptionist/fit model" that specified body dimensions to meet the model requirements to fit a sample size.[22] Critics accused the company of including this element to provide a basis on which to hire a receptionist of a particular body type.[22][23][24] Lorna Jane defended the ad and insisted that the fit model requirements were a genuine vacancy within the business that was being combined with the receptionist position out of a desire for efficiency, since both positions were only required on a part-time basis.[22][23][24][25][26] The ad was taken down after two days, which Lorna Jane claimed was due to the company having received a sufficient number of applicants for the position.[27][23][24][25] Clarkson later said that, in hindsight, she wished the ad had been worded differently, and speculated that the word "fit" had been misconstrued by critics to mean "physically fit" rather than a model to test-fit clothes.[28]
Allegations by ex-store manager Amy Robinson found to be false
In September 2015, Amy Robinson, a former manager of the Lorna Jane outlet store at the DFO Brisbane centre, commenced legal action against the company, complaining that she was bullied regularly when she worked there for six months in 2012.[29] She sought over $500,000 in damages.[29][30] The company denied the allegations.[29][30]
The case went to trial in the Brisbane District Court on 14 February 2017.[31][32][33][34] Rebecca Treston QC, representing Lorna Jane pointed out that in a twelve-page letter to management in 2012, outlining various grievances, Robinson had not once mentioned being bullied over her weight.[34]
The trial resumed to hear the remainder of the medical evidence and adjourned pending Judge Gregory Koppenol decision. The decision was handed down November 2017 in Lorna Jane's favour.[35] The decision stated that Amy Robinson had failed to prove any of her claims and the company had acted fairly and reasonably in its responses.[36] Judge Gregory Koppenol also stated that he found her to be an, "unreliable witness with serious credibility issues".[37] Judge Koppenol said he thought Ms Robinson's evidence about her physical injuries was "false" and "extremely unlikely to be true", and in some respects not even supported by medical evidence.
Impersonator asks women for revealing photos
On 16 October 2015, a 32-year-old Gold Coast psychologist (kept anonymous in press reports) said that she had received unsolicited contact from a man who claimed to be representing Lorna Jane, offering her work as a model.[38][39] The man, who identified himself as "Victor" first made contact via telephone, and arranged a Skype interview with her.[39] "Victor" asked that she send him photos of herself in Lorna Jane sports bras and shorts, which she did,[39][40] later recalling, "I was so excited about the possibility of being in a Lorna Jane catalogue as I adore the brand and what it stands for so sent the photos through."[40][41] "Victor" claimed that Lorna Jane was interested in her story because of how she maintained an active lifestyle while living with rheumatoid arthritis.[39] In a subsequent phone call, "Victor" told her that she would have to lose another 5-6 kilograms, would have to hide the bandages and gloves she wears to support her arthritic wrists, and would require Botox injections to hide her wrinkles before she could model for Lorna Jane.[38][39][41][42] After direct contact between the woman and Lorna Jane, the company revealed that other women had been approached by the same man,[39][42][40] including two yoga instructors in Hobart,[42] and that they were working with Queensland Police's Cyber Crime Unit.[39][42] Lorna Jane expressed disappointment that initial media accounts had not reported on the fraudulent nature of "Victor's" requests.[40][41] The victim said she was "embarrassed" to have been scammed, and felt sorry for Lorna Jane that the media would have reported that a Lorna Jane representative would have said "such awful things."[42]
Criticism by Universal Society of Hinduism over yoga fee
In December 2015, the president of the Universal Society of Hinduism, Rajan Zed, issued a press release criticising Lorna Jane and Sydney Airport for charging fees for yoga classes that passengers could take at the Lorna Jane Active Living room there.[43][44] In the statement, Zed said, "charging fee for it [yoga] at a public facility like Sydney Airport did not seem right."[45] Sydney Airport responded that the space was operated by Lorna Jane as a retail business and is not a public space but that it was free for passengers to use outside of class times.[44] Lorna Jane responded that the company was supportive of anything that encouraged passengers to look after their health and have the space available for passengers to use.[44]
Patent infringement
In March 2019, Carolyn Taylor, a Bendigo based physiotherapist claims the activewear company's leggings infringe her patent that was filed in 2010 and licensed to manufacturers.
Mr Clarkson said Lorna Jane had been designing and manufacturing compressive and supportive Activewear since 1989 when Ms Clarkson started hand-making leotards and short tights for herself and for clients in her aerobics classes. "Compression and support tights have been part of our business for the last 30 years, over 20 years before this patent was lodged," Mr Clarkson said.
In January 2020, these proceedings were dismissed by order of the Federal Court, with the consent of both parties. The Applicants’ claim against Lorna Jane for patent infringement (which Lorna Jane has always denied) has been dismissed. Lorna Jane's cross-claim that the Applicants’ patent is invalid has also been dismissed. No costs have been ordered as part of the dismissal. Lorna Jane is pleased to continue offering its full range of active core stability and other products to all its customers.
Lorna Jane South Africa
In July 2019, Thomas Stringfellow, who was the managing director of Lorna Jane South Africa was arrested on fraud charges related to loan agreements to fund Lorna Jane. Investors have allegedly lost in excess of R100m (AUD10m). The stores have closed and online accounts and the website are no longer active.[46][47]
Misleading marketing used to exploit COVID-19 fears
In July 2020, Lorna Jane was fined AUD $40,000 by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), over a range of activewear that the company promoted as protecting wearers against COVID-19. The clothing was made using "LJ Shield exclusive technology,"[48] which the brand promoted the range with slogans such as "Cure for the Spread of COVID-19? Lorna Jane Thinks So."[49] and claimed "With Lorna Jane Shield on our garments it meant that we were completely eliminating the possibility of spreading any deadly viruses"[50]
This marketing move was criticised by health organisations, including the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners. RACGP president, Dr Harry Nespolon, criticised Lorna Jane for allegedly exploiting fears regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, stating that "active wear is great for the gym but it can’t protect you against viruses or bacteria".[51]
In December 2020, the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) instituted proceedings against the company in the Australian federal court over the false and misleading claims. ACCC commissioner, Sarah Court stated that the claims made by Lorna Jane "gave the impression that the COVID-19 claims were based on scientific or technological evidence when this was not the case. We are particularly concerned about this because consumers often trust well-known brands and assume that their marketing claims are backed up by solid evidence.[52]" The ACCC alleged that Lorna Jane had done no testing to back up the claims and that company founder Lorna Jane Clarkson was knowingly involved in the alleged conduct via claims she made in a media release and Instagram video promoting the range.
In July 2021, the company was fined $5 million, with the court holding that Lorna Jane sought to exploit that fear and concern of the public through the use of misleading, deceptive and untrue representations about the properties of LJ Shield activewear.[53]
