Annette Sharp: Pip Edwards confirms redundancies at P.E Nation

Pip Edwards and her backer are tightening belts at P.E Nation to contend with ‘challenging’ market conditions, writes Annette Sharp.

Recessive market conditions — and not unfortunate media coverage courtesy of her on/off entanglement with Michael Clarke — has taken a whopping bite out of Pip Edwards’ athleisure brand P.E Nation, bringing the axe down on several staff.

Edwards on Friday confirmed she and her creative partner Claire Tregoning had last week laid off a number of employees at their hip fashion label.

The designer said the fashion label had been newly restructured to cope with the challenging market conditions impacting the fashion industry at large.

“In response to the challenging economic conditions, the board of P.E Nation has implemented measures to streamline and restructure the business,” Edwards informed this column.

“Regrettably, this has resulted in the difficult decision to make six staff redundant.

“These measures align with the overall restructuring efforts, which are necessary to secure the continued growth and success of the business.”

The restructure is said to have been ordered by the brand’s backer, Hotsprings apparel’s Wassim Gazal.

Designer Pip Edwards wearing her brand. Picture: John Appleyard

P.E Nation has had to let six staff go in a restructure.

Gazal, whose company also owns labels Rebecca Vallance, Cooper St and LOVER, did not respond to our request for comment on Friday.

Fashion industry insiders have informed this column the cuts come as P.E Nation attempts to rein in global expenses to the tune of $2 million.

Edwards and former partner Michael Clarke at the races in 2020. Picture: Getty Images

Among the casualties is also understood to be a business executive in the US.

When asked if it was P.E Nation’s President of North America Kate Nowlan, who was brought on board in June 2022 to manage the brand’s e-commerce and trade in the US, Edwards was unresponsive.

She assured fans of the brand that P.E Nation retained a team committed to the US market.

The axings follow other recent departures from the sports luxe brand.

In June of last year the business’s managing director Jevon Le Roux left following a two-year tenure, while in November came reports four more staff had been sacked.

On Friday Edwards said: “All affected staff members have been granted comprehensive access to support services during this period.”

She denied a recent collaboration with footwear brand ASICS has been a flop for her label, and pointed to an upcoming joint partnership scheduled with the shoe company in August as evidence of the promotion’s success.

The fit 40-something designer has long been the face of the seven-year-old fashion brand — something insiders claim may have recently had a detrimental impact on the label after her on-off romance with former Australian cricket captain Clarke erupted in negative headlines in January after Clarke was accused by his then-girlfriend Jade Yarbrough of being unfaithful with Edwards in December.

Clarke denied the dalliance, prompting Edwards to issue a statement blasting him: “Yet again, Michael in his true nature has not taken responsibility for his actions and I was blatantly lied to.”