PE Nation founder Pip Edwards’ confession: ‘It breaks my heart’

PE Nation founder Pip Edwards celebrates the fifth anniversary of her fashion label as she fields questions on her rumoured rekindled romance with former cricket captain Michael Clarke.

Pip Edwards just celebrated an important anniversary, with last month marking five years since she and her business partner Claire Tregoning co-founded their lifestyle active and swimwear brand P.E Nation.

But it was hardly an assured success, let alone an overnight one. “No-one saw the years of study, the long, hard hours in the office, the numerous failures, the stress, the tears, the learnings, in addition to the solo raising of a child,” recalls Edwards, 40, who shares 14-year-old son Justice with her ex, former Ksubi designer Dan Single.

“In a fast-paced world that’s highly influenced by social media, the perception that success, glamour and lifestyle is what it’s all about actually breaks my heart.

“It’s taken a lifetime to get here.” Picture: Tim Ashton

Pip Edwards won’t be drawn on her rumour rekindled romance with Michael Clarke. Picture: Instagram

“The want and need through the social landscape to chase this whirlwind success and fame is completely vacuous,” she tells Stellar On Friday. “I’ve spent my life building my skill set, expanding on my knowledge and my working experience, and I created a very unique career path that has led me to create my own business almost 20 years later.”

Before she blossomed into a popular style icon and turned her attention to her own brand, Edwards designed for Sass & Bide, Ksubi and General Pants Co. Today, P.E Nation is stocked around the world, has been worn by the likes of Kylie Jenner, and partnered with Swedish retail giant H&M for its first sportswear collaboration last year.

It’s been a remarkable achievement for any business, let alone one in the fickle Australian fashion industry, especially considering that COVID sent iconic local brands such as Seafolly and JETS into voluntary administration last year.

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“I don’t think we ever imagined that P.E would be where we are this quickly,” Edwards says. “Claire and I have worked for big businesses and we know what’s involved to reach touchpoints around the globe, so it’s a definite pinch-ourselves moment that we don’t take for granted.”

And while she says the label plans to build on its menswear range, Edwards won’t be drawn on her relationship status, despite recent reports surfacing that she and former Australian cricket captain Michael Clarke have rekindled their romance after calling it off in January.

For now, she says her focus moving forward – and the reason for the brand’s success up to this point – remains her partnership with Tregoning. “[It takes] years of hard work, tenacious self-belief and dedication to stand on our own two feet as women, friends and partners doing what we love and know, backing our passion and feelings. Having this emotional support behind what we do makes us unstoppable.”