Frank Varner opened his first store on Thorvald Meyersgate in Grünerløkka, Oslo, in 1962.

At the beginning of the 1980s, the takeover of the stock exchange listed company Jonas Øglænd AS commenced.

This was a conglomerate group whose business activities included a bicycle factory, a work-clothing manufacturer, an insurance agency, property development and Norway's largest textile retail chain: the family concept Cubus.

The jeans concept became a success and while Carlings opened increasingly more stores in Norwegian cities throughout the 1980s, Dressmann was in the process of becoming one of the largest retailers in the country.

Dressmann brought in substantial revenues through efficient operations, cost control and in particular, a high sales volume.

In 2001, Varner enters a new market through the acquisition of Urban – a lifestyle store with roots in the skateboard and snowboard scene.

Volt focuses on boys and men between 19–35 years of age, who want clothing that represents both fashion and lifestyle, while the WOW concept offers girls 8–15 years of age everything they desire in the way of clothing and accessories.