Lorna's Story

In the world of fashion, a single spark of inspiration can change everything and in 1989 Lorna Jane Clarkson did exactly that. As an Australian fitness instructor, she saw the opportunity for innovation in workout apparel and set out to redefine what women would wear not only to the gym but in their everyday life as well. With little more than a pair of scissors and a paper pattern made from her favourite swimsuit, she set about creating something entirely new—transforming workout essentials into fashion-forward Activewear.

Wearing her designs to class, Lorna quickly caught the attention of her clients, who requested pieces of their own. Word spread fast, and before she knew it everyone in her classes were wearing Lorna Jane, orders were coming in from stores and she secured a deal with one of Australia’s major Department stores. But when she found her Activewear stocked with swim and traditional sportswear, she realised that the only way she could get women to understand this new category (Activewear), was to open her own stores and tell the story herself. So, in 1990, she opened the very first Lorna Jane Concept Store.

During this time Lorna wasn’t just building her brand, she was building the Activewear Category - sparking a global shift in how women dressed, moved, and lived their lives. Her designs redefined what it meant to be active—empowering women to be active throughout the entire day instead of just for an hour or two in the gym.

Today, Lorna’s fearless vision continues to shape the industry with her impact earning her 14 RAQ Fashion Design Awards, the BRW Retailer of the Year Award, the Marie Claire Reader’s Choice Award, and global recognition from Goldman Sachs USA. She’s also a seven-time author, a trusted wellness advocate, and a pioneer in sustainable fashion—leading initiatives like Seamless Clothing Stewardship and proudly supporting Women’s Community Shelters.

For nearly four decades, Lorna Jane Clarkson has inspired and empowered women to move with confidence, dress with purpose, and live active lives. And, if you ask her, she’ll tell you that she’s just getting started.

In 1989, with little more than a pair of scissors and a paper pattern traced from her favourite swimsuit, Lorna Jane Clarkson began reshaping the way women would dress, move and live.

At the time, she was an Australian fitness instructor who sensed something was missing. Women were active, but their clothing did not reflect the way they truly wanted to feel. It was purely functional, uninspiring, confined to the gym. Lorna saw the opportunity to create something entirely new: Activewear designed not just for performance, but for life.

She began sewing pieces for herself, wearing them to teach her classes. Almost immediately, women began asking where they could buy them. Word spread. Orders followed. Before long, Lorna Jane was stocked in a major Australian department store. But when her designs were placed alongside swimwear and traditional sports apparel, she realised something important — this wasn’t just a product, it was a new category. And to explain it properly, she would need to tell the story herself.

In 1990, she opened the first Lorna Jane Concept Store.

What followed was not simply the growth of a brand, but the evolution of a movement. Lorna wasn’t just designing clothing — she was defining Activewear and championing a lifestyle built around confidence, strength and daily movement. Her philosophy encouraged women to live actively all day, not just for an hour at the gym. Long before “athleisure” entered the global vocabulary, Lorna Jane had already set the foundation.

Nearly four decades later, her influence continues to shape the industry she helped create. A recipient of 14 RAQ Fashion Design Awards, the BRW Retailer of the Year Award and the Marie Claire Reader’s Choice Award, Lorna has also been recognised internationally by Goldman Sachs USA. She is a seven-time author, a trusted voice in wellness and an advocate for responsible innovation, leading sustainability initiatives such as Seamless Clothing Stewardship and supporting Women’s Community Shelters.

Yet her vision has always extended beyond clothing.

Through her Never Give Up podcast, Lorna shares conversations with women of impact across industries — stories of resilience, ambition and purpose that echo the values at the heart of her brand. With SOMA by Lorna Jane, she brings her Move Nourish Believe philosophy to life through immersive wellness retreats, creating spaces where women can reconnect, restore and rediscover what they are capable of.

For over three decades, Lorna Jane Clarkson has inspired women to move with intention, dress with confidence and live with belief.

And as she will tell you — she is only just beginning.

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In the world of fitness and fashion, a singular frustration can spark a revolution. Such was the case in 1986 for Lorna Jane Clarkson. An Australian fitness instructor who, dissatisfied with the lacklustre workout apparel in market, set out to redefine her gym wear.

Credited for creating the Activewear category as we know it today, Lorna has spent three decades learning, evolving, listening and leading the way in design innovation and the normalisation of wearing activewear everywhere.

With little more than a pair of scissors and her favourite swimsuit, she embarked on a mission to create her first active designs, successfully elevating her gym wear into the world of fashion.

Lorna’s journey began with the transformation of her own workout wardrobe. She wore her unique creations to class and her clients took notice, requesting custom garments for themselves after each fitness session.

Lorna then got a break in the form of a wholesale deal with one of Australia’s major Department stores. This was a big moment for Lorna and her brand as she saw it as an opportunity to truly launch this new category of Activewear. On the day her first order was released, she organised a visit to the store, eventually finding them in the Swimwear Section! Realising that other retail stores couldn’t see the opportunity in Activewear, it became clear to Lorna that she needed to open her own. Her vision was clear, she wanted to create an environment that reflected a feminine aesthetic, a place where she could showcase her fashion forward activewear and educate her customers on the benefits of Active Living. The year was 1989 and Lorna quit her day job to open her first Lorna Jane Concept Store.

Lorna’s ‘out of the box’ thinking created a new idea of what a fashion brand could be, revolutionising not only how women wanted to dress but how wearing activewear made them feel. Her bold approach to designing workout clothing liberated the belief perception in women of the time to embrace this new wardrobe choice in their everyday lives. This marked the start of a movement that would go on to create the Activewear category as it’s known today.