Pip Edwards isn’t the only one with a new man to show off.
A few weeks ago, the PE Nation co-founder made her debut with her boyfriend Joshua Clapp during a sun-drenched outing at Camp Cove.
And on Monday morning, her former business partner Claire Greaves – with whom she launched the trendy activewear label in 2016 – pulled off a similar ‘hard launch’ at Avalon Beach.
Claire, whose 11-year marriage to cinematographer Tim Tregoning quietly ended in mid-2022, was spotted cozying up to mixologist and bar czar Matt Whiley.
And it wouldn’t be a Sydney society story without a bit of intrigue…
Matt has a surprising bond with Claire’s former friend and business partner Pip, who parted ways with PE Nation last year and returned to Ksubi as creative director.
Claire Greaves, co-founder of Pip Edwards’ PE Nation (right) was spotted with a new man on Monday, following her split from ex-husband Tim Tregoning
Claire and Matt Whiley, an award-winning hospitality guru, went for a dip in Avalon Beach
The entrepreneur stripped down to a conservatively cut white bikini that sat high on her waist
Pip Edwards (left) debuted her newest squeeze, Joshua Clapp (right), at Camp Cove last month
When the couple arrived at the beach with green towels over their shoulders, Claire pulled a blue cap low over her face and hid her eyes behind dark sunglasses..
The entrepreneur then stripped down and wore a conservatively cut white bikini that sat high on her waist in front of her and Mattan award-winning cocktail maker, went into the ocean for a swim.
Matt is best known for his sustainability-focused bar Re in Sydney.
He is also the creator of boutique gin company Wolf’s Nose and has positioned himself as a nightlife mainstay, co-founding seven award-winning bars in Sydney and London.
Although Claire has distanced herself from her old friend Pip since their falling out, they remain connected through their respective new partners, which may lead to some awkwardness later on.
You see, Matt is friends with Joshua, Pip’s newest friend. The two men are both big names in the hospitality world, with Josh owning construction and design firm Steel and Stitch, which is behind several high-profile locations in Sydney.
Just last year, Joshua designed Matt’s temporary Little Cooler bar, which he opened in the basement of a building that would be demolished in a few years.
Claire and Matt went into the ocean for a swim
When the couple arrived at the beach with green towels over their shoulders, Claire pulled a blue cap low over her face and hid her eyes behind dark sunglasses.
Although Claire has distanced herself from Pip since their falling out, they remain connected through their respective new partners, which may lead to some awkwardness later.
There was a professional rift between Pip and Claire last year, which marked the end of one of the Australian fashion industry’s most lucrative and enduring partnerships.
Claire co-founded PE Nation with Pip, and the athleisure brand loved by the yummy mummies of the eastern suburbs turned them into multi-millionaires. But Claire stepped down from her day-to-day role at the label in March last year.
PE Nation said in a statement at the time that she would “pursue other creative endeavors” and take her career in a new direction.
Claire and Pip were then hit with rumors of a falling out, and Pip later wiped all traces of Claire from PE Nation’s social media in a seemingly telling move, erasing years of posts promoting the sportswear brand.
Pip took over as sole creative director after Claire’s departure and gave the brand an overhaul and relaunch, but she later confirmed that she too would be stepping down.
In August, Pip announced that she would also be taking a ‘step back’ and no longer holding the creative director position she took over after Claire’s departure. The following month, in September, she returned to streetwear label Ksubi – the brand where she first made her name in the 1990s – as creative director.
Although neither woman has revealed the reason why they went their separate ways, Pip said in June last year that Claire ‘was the product’ in their business partnership.
Matt is friends with Joshua Clapp, Pip’s new boyfriend
The two men are both big names in the hospitality world, with Josh owning construction and design firm Steel and Stitch, which is behind several high-profile locations in Sydney.
“In PE Nation with my business partner, she was the product. She was a great designer and I was more on the marketing side of things,” she said on the Kyle and Jackie O Show at the time.
Pip went on to say she had fond memories of working with her former partner and praised Claire for being a ‘great designer’.
Before her business partnership came to an end, Claire separated from her husband Tim in mid-2022, although they would not announce this until January of the following year.
“It’s very amicable, we still love each other, we co-parent and he remains a good friend,” she said in an interview with The Sydney Morning Herald.
“Things change and that’s exactly what happened for us, but we’ll get through it with great respect and support for each other.”
Claire and Pip (pictured together) co-founded athleisure label PE Nation in 2016, but they both went their separate ways and left the company last year
Claire was previously married to cameraman Tim Tregoning (middle right)