The Power 30

Steven Cook is quietly reshaping Country Road Group’s growth playbook, launching a marketplace offering across Country Road and Witchery online late last year – with Trenery, Politix and Mimco following suit this year. This expanded model taps into a market that is valued at over US$12 billion, Next Move Strategy Consulting data shows, and is tipped to grow by a CAGR of 8.4 per cent to 2030. Cook’s move is a strategic pivot designed to future-proof the group as consumer behaviour shifts and margin pressure persists across apparel. This expansion joins improving top-line growth, with the group’s sales up 2.3 per cent in the first half of FY26, and comparable sales up 2.5 per cent.

Nicky and Simone Zimmermann have engineered a remarkable post-acquisition surge for their eponymous brand, with sales more than doubling to $645.7 million in FY24. This is up from $299.7 million in the prior year and comes after Advent International signed a landmark deal to acquire a majority stake in the luxury fashion label at a record valuation of $1.5 billion, with the sisters retaining a minority stake. This follows a boom in scale for the luxury fashion brand. When Zimmermann was snapped up in mid-2023, the brand had 58 stores globally. Today, the brand has 93 stores worldwide, including the Middle East and China, where the brand has 5 stores each.

Tattarang has ramped up investment in Australian fashion production after officially opening a second Adelaide workshop for R.M.Williams that triples the brand’s local production capacity. The new 20,000 square metre facility – dubbed Bushman’s Base – brings the Australian bootmaker’s total local output to 29,500 square metres. Since acquiring R.M. Williams in 2020 through Tattarang, Dr Andrew and Nicola Forrest’s investment has created hundreds of jobs, boosted supply-chain resilience and reinforced the company’s promise to keep manufacturing onshore. “There is immense pride in knowing the world’s best boots are still made right here in Salisbury,” Nicola says.

Strand is transforming its heritage retail business by scaling private-label brands that are fast-becoming core growth drivers. Its leather-goods label Evity delivered standout performance, recording 20 per cent growth in 2025, booming nearly four years after initially launching in 2022 when Strand CEO Felicity McGahan tipped the label would hit $100 million in sales in its first year. Since then, Strand has launched other private labels, including travel-lifestyle range Nere and youth-focused brand AYA. McGahan’s strategy to evolve Strand from a traditional retailer into a portfolio of in-house brands has sharpened product relevance and boosted value across channels.

Brent Scrimshaw has hit the ground running since jumping into the CEO role of KMD Brands, with the group’s leading retailer Kathmandu boosting first-half growth. The outdoor label posted roughly 12.9 per cent year-to-date sales growth, including same-store sales up 12.7 per cent and consistent double-digit gains through both quarters, driven by strong Black Friday and Christmas trading. The result helped lift group sales – which includes Rip Curl and Oboz – by about 7.9 per cent. Scrimshaw says the performance validates the early stages of KMD’s “Next Level” reset, with tighter inventory control and fresh product innovation planned for the second half to sustain growth and rebuild margins. 

Daniel Agostinelli is accelerating Accent Group’s next growth phase through new license deals. Central to the strategy is the rollout of Sports Direct in Australia and New Zealand under a 25-year partnership with Frasers Group, with plans for at least 50 stores within six years and potential to scale beyond 100. Frasers has backed the rollout with a $60 million-plus investment, lifting its stake in Accent to just over 20 per cent. Running alongside is the continued expansion of Lacoste, strengthening Accent’s push into premium lifestyle retail beyond core footwear. This comes as Accent’s total store portfolio nears 900 across Australia and New Zealand, with annual sales north of $1.6 billion.

Wesfarmers managing director Rob Scott is accelerating the conglomerate’s AI agenda, embedding advanced data and automation capabilities across retail heavyweights including Kmart, Target and Bunnings. The group has expanded its in-house AI and data science teams to sharpen demand forecasting, pricing optimisation and supply chain efficiency, while unlocking productivity gains across store networks and support offices. Scott views AI not as a siloed tech upgrade but as a core operational lever to lift margins and enhance customer value at scale. This comes as Kmart Group – including Target – pulled in $1 billion in earnings before tax for FY25.

Peter Alexander closed out 2025 with a record Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales, underscoring continued momentum for the sleepwear and lifestyle brand under MD Judy Coomber’s leadership. Premier Investments confirmed Peter Alexander’s record BF/CM sales, even as broader discretionary spending remained challenged. That performance follows a year in which the brand has consistently outpaced peers – with FY25 sales lifting 7.7 per cent to $548 million. Peter Alexander is also pushing into the UK market with three stores and a local website. Coomber’s growth strategy is positioning Peter Alexander for sustained sales and 2026 success.

APG & Co has taken a bold step into the UK fashion landscape by securing online distribution via British retailer Marks & Spencer for its three brands – Jag, Saba and Sportscraft. This gives all three brands exposure to M&S’s 10.2 million active online customers and tapping into the British retailer’s rapidly growing thirdparty fashion channel. Launched on the M&S platform in August 2025, the partnership sits alongside established names such as Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein and positions APG & Co’s labels in a competitive global marketplace. The deal accelerates global reach without heavy capital investment, giving the group valuable data, brand visibility and a springboard for further expansion.

When Australian Fashion Week’s future hung in the balance after IMG’s withdrawal, the Australian Fashion Council (AFC) pulled off what some would call an insane decision – stepping in to save and reshape the event for 2025. With verbal backing from the NSW Government and a rapid 60page proposal to take the helm, the AFC rallied industry support to deliver a successful week that drew more than 10,000 attendees, including 422 buyers, and featured 40 designers across 16 onsite runways and six offsite shows. Following a successful 2025, the industry anxiously awaits the 2026 program.

Lorna Jane Clarkson is steering her namesake business into a new growth chapter, pairing strong financial momentum with a broader lifestyle play. The activewear founder recently doubled annual profit to $21.3 million on steady demand and tighter operational discipline, reinforcing the enduring pull of the athleisure category. Now, Clarkson is extending the brand beyond apparel through the acquisition of SOMA Byron Bay, marking a deliberate shift into wellness. The retreat expands Lorna Jane’s footprint from product-led retail into immersive experiences, positioning the brand within the booming wellness economy and signalling a strategic evolution from outfitting customers for movement to shaping how they live, recover and connect.

Mark Teperson is tightening execution at Baby Bunting, translating strategy into measurable margin gains. Under his leadership, the specialty retailer recently lifted gross margin by 124 basis points to 41 per cent in the first half, while sales climbed 6.7 per cent to $271.4 million and comparable growth beat guidance. The result reflects a sharper operating model built around private label expansion – including in babywear – store refurbishments and disciplined cost control. Teperson’s ‘Store of the Future’ rollout is already driving stronger productivity and returns, with upgraded locations delivering average 25 per cent uplifts. With margins rebuilding and momentum carrying into the second half, the CEO is positioning Baby Bunting for more growth ahead.

Michael Breckler is steering a new chapter for heritage footwear brand Betts, pushing the 133yearold business into a modern retail era with a complete overhaul of its channels, ranges and digital presence. Under his leadership, Betts has launched a refreshed website and SS26 collection, supported by a rebrand that streamlines product offerings by retiring sublabels and refocusing the brand on a consolidated women’s shoe line. The repositioning aims to shift past aesthetics and amplify Betts’ fashion credentials, with more than 70 stores nationwide set for an upgrade in 2026 and beyond. Breckler’s push aligns digital, retail and brand storytelling into one.

The Iconic is turning customer love into commercial growth with its new ‘Front Row’ loyalty program, spearheaded by CMO Jo Robinson. Launched in late September 2025, the program is designed to tap into the platform’s 2 million active customers, built from the ground up thanks to insights from The Iconic’s ‘Inner Circle’ of 50,000 loyal shoppers. Front Row rewards members with points – called Icons – exclusive offers, events and priority services, while helping The Iconic track retention, basket size and churn. Robinson says the program bridges online and offline engagement, supports hyper-personalisation via AI and strengthens emotional attachment.

David Thomas is shifting Brand Collective’s 77yearold heritage brand Harrison into directtoconsumer territory with the launch of its first standalone ecommerce platform. Historically sold through wholesale and partners like Shoes & Sox, Amazon and The Iconic, Harrison now has a dedicated DTC site featuring free shipping and returns, localised storefronts and tools like live chat and wishlisting to boost conversion. The move complements Brand Collective’s broad portfolio strategy of both modern and heritage labels and balances wholesale with digital growth, while keeping physical fitinstore options via Shoes & Sox bookings.