Ragtrader has unveiled the full agenda for its Breakfast of Big Ideas, bringing a heavyweight lineup of fashion leaders to Sydney on June 18.
Register here now — the event is nearing 80% capacity.
Confirmed speakers include Alice Barbery, Group CEO of Universal Store; Melissa Trovato, COO of GAP Australia; and Ebony Milosavljevic, Head of Brand ANZ at Tapestry.
They are joined by Melanie Remai, CEO of Cue Clothing Co; Scott Fyfe, CEO of David Jones; Elisha Hopkinson, CEO of APG & Co; Brendan Santamaria, CEO of Seafolly Group; David Ibanez, Head of Operations at Showpo; Cale Suesskow, Co-CEO of VRG GRL; and Daniella Johnston, Brand Director of Lioness.
The event will open with a data-led market of briefing from platinum partner BDO, before moving into panels focused on outperforming retailers, challenger brand growth and large-scale retail turnarounds.
Sponsors for the event include Gold Partner Styllar and Silver Partners Apparel 21, Afterpay, Williams Logistics, The Retail Score and Centric Software.
Publisher Assia Benmedjdoub said the event comes at a pivotal time for the Australian fashion industry.
“This isn’t theory — it’s operators in the room making decisions that will define the next cycle of Australian fashion retail.”
The full schedule is detailed below.
7:30am - Registration and Networking
8:00am - Ragtrader Welcome
8:05am - The Data Doesn’t Lie: Where Fashion Retail Growth Is Actually Happening
Exclusive Analytical Deep Dive | Presented by BDO
In a market defined by uncertainty, this session cuts through the noise with a clear, data-led view of performance across fashion retail. Drawing on fiscal results, LTS data and trading benchmarks, BDO delivers a forensic analysis of where growth is truly coming from—and where it isn’t.
This hard-edged, no-fluff session designed to give decision-makers a definitive view of the market, grounded in evidence, not opinion.
8:25am - Outperforming the Market: How the Best Retailers Are Winning Now
Universal Store Group CEO Alice Barbery, GAP Australia COO Melissa Trovato and Tapestry ANZ Head of Brand Ebony Milosavljevic
Select retailers continue to deliver top-line growth and margin expansion while the broader sector contends with softening discretionary spend and macro headwinds. This session brings together leaders from high-performing brands to unpack what’s actually driving outperformance when the cycle is working against them.
We focus on the operating choices behind that resilience: how capital is being allocated across the portfolio, where the cost base is being re-engineered and how demand is being defended in a volatile trading environment.
9:00am - Break for Breakfast and Networking
9:30am - Challenger Brands: Where Growth Is Being Won Today
Showpo head of operations David Ibanez, VRG GRL co-CEO Cale Suesskow and Lioness brand director Daniella Johnston
Challenger brands are still compounding growth in an environment where CAC is rising, competition is intensifying and unit economics are under pressure. This session looks at how they’re continuing to take share.
We get into the strategic decisions behind the performance—how they’re sequencing expansion, holding discipline on contribution margin as they scale and defending brand relevance as the market tightens.
10:05am - Retail Turnarounds: Stories of Reset and Recovery
Cue Clothing Co CEO Melanie Remai, David Jones CEO Scott Fyfe, APG & Co CEO Elisha Hopkinson and Seafolly Group CEO Brendan Santamaria
With more established retailers facing structural pressure, turnarounds have become a defining challenge of the current cycle. A turnaround is more than a return to growth—it’s a reset of focus, operating model and capital priorities. This session explores how brands are rebuilding performance after disruption.
Drawing on leadership experience from both current and historical turnarounds, we examine the inflection points that changed trajectory, the re-prioritisation that followed and the strategic decisions that restored momentum.
10:40am - Formalities conclude. Extended networking begins
11:00am - Event closes
Thanks to our platinum partner BDO, gold partner Styllar and silver partners Apparel 21, Afterpay, Williams Logistics, The Retail Score and Centric Software.