Lorna Jane Clarkson: On Founding Lorna Jane Active

Sun, sand and surf – there’s no denying that we’re big fans of the Australian way of life over here in the UK. So, ever since hot Aussie export, Lorna Jane Clarkson landed on our shores with her activewear we haven’t been able to get enough of it.

Having started a full-on movement inspiring women to live their lives to the fullest, Lorna herself now has over 160K followers on Instagram and we can see why. Looking great and feeling empowered is a philosophy we can all get onboard with.

To find out more about how the movement began we spoke to Lorna, author of  fabulous new book ‘Inspired’ to discover why Move Nourish Believe are the only ‘three little words’ you need in your life.

FOR LONDONERS, THE LORNA JANE BRAND IS RELATIVELY NEW, BUT WE JUST LOVE THE ‘MOVE NOURISH BELIEVE’ MANTRA. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE BRAND TO NEWBIES?

Lorna Jane is so much more than just an activewear brand. It’s become a way of life for millions of women around the world. While we believe that Lorna Jane creates the very best activewear on the planet it’s our passion and mission to empower women to live their very best, active life through my personal Active Living philosophy that has gained us millions of followers around the world. Active Living is defined as ‘getting more out of life by giving more of yourself every day’ and people can achieve this through the daily practice of Move Nourish Believe – moving your body every day, nourishing from the inside out and believing that anything is possible.

Lorna Jane inspires women towards Active Living, but more importantly provides them with the tools to make it a reality, with activewear, delicious and nourishing recipes, workout inspiration, motivational tips, positive mantras and so much more.

YOU’VE JUST RELEASED YOUR LATEST BOOK, ‘INSPIRED’, WHICH IS ABSOLUTELY STUNNING. WHAT IS THE FOCUS OF THE NEW BOOK?

Everything we do at Lorna Jane is about inspiring women, so we really wanted to create a book about our thoughts on how to live an inspired life. Fans of the brand are constantly telling us that they love Lorna Jane because we inspire them to be fitter, healthier and more positive. So we thought ‘why not put it all in a book that they can reference whenever they need a little inspiration.’

Inspired is filled with honest and authentic advice on dreaming big, finding new and interesting ways to Move, Nourish and Believe every day and creating a life that is exciting, inspiring and most importantly fulfilling.

DID YOU ALWAYS WANT TO BE A FITNESS FASHION DESIGNER?

I always knew I wanted to make a difference, but would never have imagined that designing activewear would be the vehicle that allowed me to make this dream a reality. From a young age I was interested in fashion, but as I got older I couldn’t always find things I liked so I started making clothing for myself. When the fitness boom hit in the 80s I was completely hooked and decided to take a Fitness Leader course to become an aerobics instructor. I started teaching aerobics classes in the evenings after work and really struggled to find activewear that inspired me, made me feel good and was a reflection of my personality – it was all so boring. With that, I took matters into my own hands and started designing my own. The rest is history!

HOW DID THE LORNA JANE BRAND BEGIN AND DID YOU EXPECT IT TO GROW INTO WHAT IT IS TODAY?

I started designing activewear because I wanted to inspire women to look forward to their workouts. Never in a million years did I imagine that Lorna Jane would become the global success that it is today. People often ask me about my business plan and quite honestly it’s as simple as wanting to wake up every morning excited about the day ahead – because I’m doing what I love to do.  

When I started creating activewear my goal was to design garments that made women think differently about their workouts and today that goal is as important as ever. I’m so fortunate to have a job doing something that I love and that actually changes women’s lives. And it’s exciting to be able to bring Lorna Jane to the UK (where I was born) and to inspire the women there towards Active Living as well.

LORNA JANE HAS EXPANDED DRAMATICALLY BEYOND AUSTRALIAN SHORES, DO YOU THINK THE CULTURE OF AUSTRALIA STAYS WITH THE BRAND WHEREVER IT GOES? 

Australia is unlike any other country in the world. Everything we do is based on the great outdoors and being active. I think many of our international customers long for a lifestyle like this, so I’m excited to be able to deliver a part of our lifestyle to them no matter where they are. We’re committed to staying true to what’s most important to us and no matter where they are in the world we want women to feel a part of the Lorna Jane sisterhood.

HOW DO YOU START YOUR MORNING AND WHAT DOES A TYPICAL DAY LOOK LIKE FOR YOU?

I rise early (around 5:30am) and do some meditation and stretches on my yoga mat to wake up my mind and body for the day ahead. I drink a litre of filtered water to kick-start my hydration and then get straight into a workout. Whether it’s a lifting session with my trainer, some yoga poses on my mat or just walking my dog (Roger), I always make time to move. Then I shower and enjoy a nourishing breakfast at home before heading into the office at around 8am.  

My mornings at the office are fairly jam packed with design fittings, collection planning, catching up with my team and my emails. But I always make time for a healthy lunch (usually eaten at my desk) before heading into an afternoon that is usually full of more meetings. Also, somewhere in there I find time for designing and brainstorming for upcoming marketing campaigns.

Around 6pm, I switch off my computer and head home to take Roger for another walk, then cook dinner with my husband and either do some planning or just relax with a good book or movie. Before bed I like to unwind with at least 10 minutes on my yoga mat to clear my head and prepare myself for sleep – this way I know I’ll be refreshed and ready to do my best work the following day.

WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES YOU’VE FACED OVER THE YEARS?

I can honestly say that from the very beginning building and developing Lorna Jane has been so much fun. Sure, life and business has its challenges, however I don’t see them as a negative, but rather an opportunity to learn, grow and improve. For me, my greatest challenge has been finding the right people who share and understand my passion and are willing to give 100 per cent in everything they do. At Lorna Jane we have BIG dreams, so I’m always on the lookout for people who share my vision to inspire women and want to come on board to take Active Living global.

WHAT ARE YOUR STAPLE LORNA JANE PIECES?

I’m sure it doesn’t come as a surprise that I own a LOT of Lorna Jane activewear, but I also use our basic styles as a foundation for most of my outfits. My go-to pieces are the Amy F/L Tight in black, which are flattering, supportive and super comfortable and the Pammy Bra, which has a feminine neckline, adjustable straps and gives your bust amazing shape. We design 70 – 100 new styles every single month, so I mix and match statement tanks, jackets and bras with my favourites. I find that when you build a wardrobe based on classic styles that you love it makes it easy to create the perfect outfit for any occasion all-year round.

To get your hands on a copy of Inspired go to www.houseoffraser.co.uk

And if you want to be a part of the Move Nourish Believe movement you can get involved by joining Active Nation Day on 27 September 2015. Events will be taking place all over the world to encourage women to mark their commitment to Active Living by getting out and moving their bodies, so to find your nearest event visit: www.activenationday.com

#ACTIVENATIONADAY #LORNAJANE