e said the deal also has the potential to lead to standalone sites in Canada and Puerto Rico. As part of the venture, Lorna Jane’s entire activewear range including its Uniquely Lorna Jane label will be available instore. Lorna Jane is majority-owned by founder, Lorna Jane Clarkson, and husband, Bill Clarkson, while private equity firm, Champ Ventures, has held a 40 per cent stake since 2010. The deal comes after Lorna Jane abandoned plans to sell the business late last year. The decision followed a six month process involving interest from more than 40 parties to find a new equity partner, however, the Clarksons decided to retain control of the business to continue its global expansion. During sale talks, US-based sports retailers, Foot Locker and Under Armour, were among the names speculated as potential trade buyers of the sports brand, which has an estimated value of between $400 and $500 million. Lorna Jane is the first Australian activewear brand to be available at Nordstrom, however, it’s not the first time an Aussie retailer has scored such a lucrative deal with the department store. Last year, Sydney-based e-tailer, Shoes of Prey, opened the first of six concession stores at Nordstrom’s Bellevue Square location in Washington in November. The second Shoes of Prey Design Studio at Nordstrom opened earlier this month in San Francisco. The deal also follows Lorna Jane’s launch at French department store, Galeries Lafayette, in Paris. In addition, the Brisbane-based brand is available at House of Fraser in the UK and Breuninger in Germany. Lorna Jane Active Living Room store Back on home soil, David Jones became the first Australian department store to stock Lorna Jane when it secured exclusive rights in March 2014. Lorna Jane has 150 stores in Australia and its global success has lead to a wave of Australian retailers trying their hand at fashionable activewear including Cotton On Body, Sportsgirl, and Bardot, which last month launched its first sportswear collection. The US, where Lorna Jane has 42 stores, remains a major focus for store expansion. This year, it opened 11 standalone stores, with a twelfth to open by the end of this financial year. Another area of focus has been the Lorna Jane Active Living Room format and latest store concept, Uniquely. The first Lorna Jane Active Living Room opened in Brisbane in 2013 and encompasses an exercise studio, which offers $5 fitness classes, retail boutique, and nutritional cafe. There are eight Active Living Rooms in Australia and nine in the US. “We’re particularly focused on opening more Active Living Rooms, which are a concept unique to Lorna Jane,” Clarkson said. “We’ll be introducing 12 more Active Living Rooms and 10 Uniquely stores this calendar  year. Our Uniquely stores are a new concept that feature our most fashion forward range.” Clarkson told Inside Retail PREMIUM the brand is also eyeing Asia, Europe, and the UK. “We will continue to monitor the success of the brand in the US. We have the potential to open hundreds of stores in years to come, not just in the US, but across the world.” This story first appeared in Inside Retail PREMIUM issue 2038. To subscribe, click here.