The Rise And Rise Of Lorna Jane

Almost 30 years ago, when fitness instructor Lorna Jane Clarkson set about filling a gap in the clothing market, she couldn’t have foreseen where it would lead. Here, she brings her story up to date.

- Lorna Jane Clarkson

As a fitness instructor who couldn’t find any decent workout clothes, I decided to make my own. This was 28 years ago, so when I started to design and wear my own ‘fashionable’ activewear the women in my classes went crazy for it. Over the years, my business has grown into a brand that inspires women not only to workout (in activewear) but also to chase their dreams and build an incredible life for themselves. This is what continues to motivate me today.

After a year of designing and sewing on my dining table every night and on weekends, I decided to get serious, setting up a design studio and opening my first retail store in Brisbane. I quit my day job and started making activewear full-time. One store led to another, and soon I had Lorna Jane stores Australia-wide and was selling my products globally.

In the early days, I sold my dream home to buy a factory (where we lived on the top floor) in the inner-city suburb of Fortitude Valley in Queensland. Everyone thought we were crazy but this decision would prove to be one of the best I’ve ever made – because within a couple of years, the building was worth four times what I had paid for it and has since provided the equity we needed to grow our business to where it is today.