Popular Australian activewear brand Exoticathletica collapses owing debts of $13million

By OLIVIA DAY FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA

Published: 23:58 BST, 20 May 2025 | Updated: 00:27 BST, 21 May 2025

An athleisure brand whose founder made $7million in one year from a ‘ultra-comfortable’ crop top has collapsed owing $13million to creditors. 

Exoticathletica, an online activewear brand was founded in Noosa in 2014 and quickly gained popularity for its bright and colourful styles. 

Brand owner, Leilani Chandler, sold more than 140,000 of the best-selling $49.99 seamless, wire-free crop top between April 2020 and April 2021.

But, fast-forward to 2025 and the company has debts of over $6.2million to unsecured creditors, including $800,000 to the Australian Tax Office. 

It also owes $6.7million to the Commonwealth Bank.  

Customers have reported to suffered a loss of $172, 576 while employees are owed $416,447, including $37,733 in superannuation. 

The brand owes $211,931 to Active Apparel Group, $311,928 to Andorra Australian, $447,813 to Dongguan Huachen Sporting Goods Co and $416,447 to Chinese activewear manufacturer D and J International. 

There is currently a 70 per cent off flash sale on the Exoticathletica website. 

A popular athleisure brand whose founder made $7million in one year from a ‘ultra-comfortable’ crop top has collapsed owing $13million to creditors

Brand owner, Leilani Chandler, sold more than 140,000 of the best-selling $49.99 seamless, wire-free crop top between April 2020 and April 2021 (Ms Chandler is pictured in the design)

Sales for the company boomed during the pandemic when comfort became paramount during lengthy lockdowns spent at home. 

The company operated mostly online, but opened a bricks and mortar store at Sunshine Plaza in Maroochydore in 2019. 

The activewear comes in an array of colours and prints in sizes 4 to 26, in keeping with the label’s inclusive body positive ethos.

Ms Chandler gushed to Daily Mail Australia over the popularity of the crop top in 2021 – after sales saw a 485 per cent increase on the previous year. 

Designed for everyday wear, it is lined with thick layers of compression fabric that provide support in place of the wire and foam cups typically found in bras. 

‘You can wear it as outerwear if you want. It can be anything from a fashion piece to a gym top or even swimwear,’ she told Daily Mail Australia.

 In a saturated market rife with competition, Ms Chandler said the design stands out because it ‘doesn’t really look like a bra’.

The brand boasts 105,000 followers on Instagram where it regularly shares videos of customers running, walking and working out in the activewear. 

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Popular Australian activewear brand Exoticathletica collapses owing debts of $13million

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Read more at DailyMail.co.uk