Activewear label Lorna Jane has seen a 10.5 per cent jump in its total sales for the FY25 period, hitting $223.2 million, with profits bumping up alongside.
This is according to the brand’s latest accounts filed to ASIC, showing that some fashion businesses in the industry are still going strong despite the economic turbulence since COVID.
Across channels, Lorna Jane’s retail space recorded the largest sales growth, up by around $15 million to $130.8 million, with online sales nudging up slightly to $71.6 million. The brand’s wholesale arm, which includes retailers such as Rebel and The Iconic, also recorded a noteworthy surge of several million dollars to $18.7 million.
Lorna Jane’s profit after tax nudged up by just over $1 million to $22.7 million, with its operating profit up by over 20 per cent to $35.3 million.
Despite the profit nudge up, foreign exchange had caused the activewear brand’s total comprehensive income to dip by $637,000 to $21.7 million. Foreign currency transaction differences for foreign operations went from just over $1 million in FY24, to negative $928,000 in FY25.
Lorna Jane CEO Anna Fowler has led the brand since early 2023, which has included a large scale refurbishment program across its now 116 stores across Australia and New Zealand.
“We have never built this brand on price,” Fowler said. “It has always been grounded in quality product and a very clear understanding of our customer, that is what drives repeat purchase, and ultimately performance.”
Within the sales, Lorna Jane confirmed its New Zealand market, where the brand has 11 stores, had a sales lift of 26 per cent. This has led to the brand to purchase and develop a new NZ$8 million, 2,500sqm warehouse to support continued growth in the region.
The brand also noted that its Thermal Leggings have become Lorna Jane’s best selling style, with approximately one pair sold every four minutes at peak. The recently launched ‘All Day Active Mid Rise Pants’ is also performing strongly.
“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,” Fowler said.
The bump up in sales also comes as founder Lorna Jane Clarkson prepares to dive deeper into the wellness space after purchasing the SOMA retreat in Byron Bay. The property was recently used as a filming location for Nine Perfect Strangers starring Nicole Kidman, with the activewear brand preparing its next chapter through the retreat.
The ASIC filings also show that Lorna Jane’s inventories on hand rose from $36.6 million in FY24 to $44.9 million in FY25. The activewear retailer issued a dividend of $1.1 million following the FY25 results.