The Hong Kong-headquartered chain said it was hit by various costs, including those relating to acquisitions in China and store closures.
The loss compares with a net profit of HK$873m for the previous year and is much larger than the HK3.48bn forecast in a survey by S&P Capital IQ.
It said revenue for the year was down 14.1% at HK$25.9bn, compared with HK$30.17bn previously, adding that the period was an extraordinarily challenging one for the company.
Esprit has been battling to pick up strength in a tough market that includes Spain's Zara and Sweden's Hennes & Mauritz. In May, it warned of a substantial loss for the fiscal year.
In a statement on Tuesday (9 September) it said: "The management team expects the next financial year to be a period of transition where Esprit aims to stabilise its business performance and build the basis for a sustainable turnaround."
The firm, founded in San Francisco in 1968, said last year it would invest US$2.4bn over four years as part of a transformation drive after suffering a 98% plunge in net profit in 2011.
Esprit raised US$667m in November last year by selling 646.1m shares in an effort to fund the plan.
Jose Manuel Martinez Gutierrez, a former senior executive at Spanish clothing retailer Zara, was appointed chief executive of Esprit August last year after former chief executive Ronald Van der Vis resigned.
Source: AFP via I-Net Bridge
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