Lorna Jane CEO Anna Fowler says the brand’s wellness retreat SOMA is seeing early trading momentum since quietly relaunching in May, driven by two-way customer conversion between the activewear label and the ten-room Byron Bay retreat.
Fowler described the retreat as an extension of the apparel business rather than a standalone acquisition, built around what the brand calls its 'Active Living' philosophy.
"Where the garments inspire women to move every day, SOMA Lorna Jane gives them the space to go deeper into every dimension of Active Living: how they move, how they nourish themselves and what they believe is possible," she said.
"So it is less an acquisition sitting alongside the apparel business and more a natural extension of it."
The inclusion of SOMA in Lorna Jane’s operations comes as the activewear business reported a 10.5 per cent lift in sales in FY25 to $223.2 million, and a 20 per cent jump in operating profit to $35.3 million, compared to FY24.
In that same timeframe, the company’s workforce grew by 326 staff, hitting 1,217 employees across four countries.
The workforce growth is anchored in Australia, where 1,072 staff – 88 per cent of the total headcount – work across the brand's retail network, Queensland headquarters and warehouse operations. A further 124 team members are based in New Zealand, representing 10 per cent of the workforce, with the remaining staff split between China (12 full-time) and Manila (nine contractors).
Founder Lorna Jane Clarkson acquired the SOMA retreat in Byron Bay in September 2025 for $10.98 million. It is her third property purchase in the region, adding to a $14.1 million hinterland estate she bought in 2021 and a beach house.
Fowler said the crossover between SOMA and the Lorna Jane brand sits in the customer base rather than in operational overlap, describing the typical SOMA guest as an existing Lorna Jane customer at a stage of life where she is investing in experiences rather than product alone. Clarkson provides creative direction across both the apparel and retreat businesses, which Fowler said lends the retreat a connection to the brand that a standalone wellness venture wouldn't have.
She added that demand since the May relaunch had “exceeded expectations”. The retreat's calendar for the second half of 2026 features Australian experts across habits, longevity, hormonal health and nervous system regulation, with bookings moving quickly given the property's boutique scale of just ten rooms.
Operationally, SOMA Lorna Jane runs with a dedicated onsite team led by a Byron Bay-based general manager, alongside a head of customer experience overseeing the guest journey from enquiry through to post-retreat follow-up. That hospitality function draws on the wider Lorna Jane business for marketing, creative and strategic support.
Fowler positioned the retreat as part of a longer-term ambition for the 37-year-old brand to extend beyond apparel.
"Our long-term ambition is for Lorna Jane to be the home of Active Living for women in every form it takes: what she wears, how she moves, what she learns and where she goes to reconnect with herself," she said.
"SOMA Lorna Jane is proof that after more than 37 years, the brand can keep expanding what it offers women without ever moving away from what it stands for."