Welcome to The Group Chat with Lucy Manly, where Australia’s most trusted society insider shares the hottest gossip before it makes the news.
Stax of debt
Fashion entrepreneurs Don and Matilda Robertson, the husband-and-wife founders of the decidedly pedestrian activewear label Stax, have officially appointed liquidators as prospective buyers circle the once-thriving brand, with several indicative offers already on the table.
The announcement came last month, but I’d argue the writing had been on the wall for years.
I’ve interviewed the couple, attended their flashy fashion shows and watched them do the rounds of Sydney’s social scene. Personally, it felt as though the ambition was beginning to outpace the business itself.
Stax was, in many ways, the athleisure world’s answer to Yeezy – minus the celebrity founder.
Fashion entrepreneurs Don and Matilda Robertson (pictured), the husband-and-wife founders of the decidedly pedestrian activewear label Stax, have officially appointed liquidators
It’s a spectacular fall for a brand whose founders hit the AFR’s Young Rich List four years ago
The worth of Stax peaked at about $52million, putting the couple on the 2022 Young Rich List
At its peak, the brand operated eight stores nationwide. Last year, six of them quietly disappeared as rising interest rates and tightening consumer spending caught up with the athleisure boom.
It’s a spectacular fall for a brand whose founders landed on the AFR Young Rich List just four years ago.
As the money rolled in, so did the designer labels. The pair became the poster couple for Sydney’s Instagram-rich set, seemingly never photographed without a luxury logo in sight.
Their rise wasn’t always glamorous. In the early days, after the pair relocated from Perth to Sydney in 2019, Don was still digging himself out of debt after his first venture, Muscle Stax, collapsed.
In one extraordinary bid to keep the dream alive, he applied for 36 credit cards in a single week, obliterating his credit rating and leaving him effectively locked out of traditional bank finance.
This week, I did a deep dive into his business history, which shows him linked to a bewilderingly long list of companies and domain registrations.
Many seem to be speculative ventures or URLs secured for a rainy day. Taken together, they paint a picture of someone constantly scouting for the next opportunity, rather than pursuing a single, clearly defined mission.
But that’s just my opinion.
The pair became the poster couple for Sydney’s Instagram-rich set, seemingly never photographed without a luxury logo in sight. (Matilda is pictured right with socialite Zoe Marshall, left, and singer Delta Goodrem, centre)
The activewear brand began in a Perth bedroom in 2015 and experienced a stratospheric rise over the next decade – but ultimately crumbled due to an overcrowded market
After weeks of radio silence, the pair finally addressed the growing backlash on Tuesday, saying they had read ‘hundreds’ of messages from customers left waiting for orders that never arrived.
‘Many of you are frustrated, disappointed and understandably upset that your orders remain unfulfilled,’ they wrote in a joint Instagram statement.
‘First and foremost, we’re truly sorry for this and for not communicating earlier.
‘Stax was built over more than a decade with an incredible community and knowing that so many of our customers have been impacted is something we carry every day.’
The couple confirmed the company’s assets were now under the control of receivers, with all decisions regarding outstanding orders being handled through that process.
Customers still waiting on deliveries were encouraged to contact their payment providers to explore buyer protection or chargeback options.
Despite the turmoil, there may yet be a lifeline… for the brand, at least.
Stax has attracted interest from multiple prospective buyers, with several offers already lodged with the receivers.
According to Ragtrader, a number of credible non-binding indicative offers have been received, with shortlisted bidders now moving into a second round of due diligence.
Final binding offers are expected by next Friday, with the outcome likely to determine whether Stax can stage an unlikely comeback.
What’s next for the pair remains unknown, but something tells me this won’t be the last business bearing Don Robertson’s name.
A royal summons
Double Bay’s self-styled Russian royalty Yuliya Sharipova was excused from appearing at Downing Centre Local Court on Wednesday in relation to a restraining order matter stemming from an alleged domestic incident involving her partner, logistics executive Aaron Powell.
The Apprehended Domestic Violence Order (ADVO), which was issued for Powell’s protection, was made for two years from December 3, 2025, until December 2, 2027.
I first reported the ADVO late last year, but can now reveal that a charge of common assault (DV) was also laid against the enigmatic Sharipova at the time.
She was convicted in her absence and fined $500, according to court records, but later sought to have the matter annulled.
The Local Court confirmed that annulment was indeed granted.
Double Bay’s self-styled Russian royalty Yuliya Sharipova (left) was excused from appearing at Downing Centre Local Court on Wednesday in relation to a restraining order matter stemming from an alleged domestic incident involving her partner, logistics boss Aaron Powell (right)
She and Powell, who live together in Bellevue Hill, are understood to have a habit of breaking up and making up – if that wasn’t already clear. (The on-off couple is pictured together)
Under the terms of the ADVO, Sharipova must not assault or threaten Powell, stalk, harass or intimidate him, damage his property, or harm any animal in his care.
She is also prohibited from approaching or being in the company of Powell within 12 hours of drinking alcohol or taking illicit drugs.
To be clear, I am not suggesting Sharipova has engaged in any of this conduct, only that these are the standard conditions imposed by the ADVO.
Despite the annulment, it would appear Sharipova’s legal saga isn’t over yet.
As mentioned, her matter was heard at court this week, and is next listed for hearing at Downing Centre on August 24 and 25, with a Russian interpreter required for day one.
During Wednesday’s mention, I’m told the mother-of-one – known in Sydney’s east for driving a garish lime-green Lamborghini – was sunning herself in Los Angeles, where she is believed to be staying at the famous Beverly Hills Hotel.
I first reported the ADVO late last year, but can now reveal Sharipova (pictured on December 9) was also charged with common assault (DV). Court records show she was fined before later seeking to have the matter annulled, which was granted
Sharipova’s retina-searing lime-green Lamborghini was parked outside her usual breakfast haunt, Indigo in Double Bay, when a Daily Mail photographer snapped her last December
A mock-up of my WhatsApps from Sharipova when I first contacted her last December
When I first contacted Sharipova about the matter last December, she responded via WhatsApp in broken English: ‘No Avo at all [sic]. What are you talking about? Where do you get this information?’
‘It’s wrong. I sagest [sic] you to not write any deformation [sic]. You will be taken to court otherwise.’
Ultimately, my day in court never came.
Sharipova, however, is due back before a magistrate in late August – sporting a fresh summer tan, no doubt.
She and Powell, who live together in a Bellevue Hill mansion, are understood to have a habit of breaking up and making up – if that wasn’t already abundantly clear.
Powell is a director of Tyne Container Services and works closely with the Tzaneros family, one of Australia’s biggest freight and logistics dynasties.
Tamie’s fresh chick
Félicitations are in order for ‘chicken heiress’ Tamie Ingham, who has welcomed her first child with French celebrity chef Guillaume Brahimi.
Tamie, of the famous poultry dynasty, gave birth to a boy several months ago but did not publicly announce his arrival.
Tamie Ingham, of the famous poultry dynasty, gave birth to a baby boy several months ago but did not publicly announce his arrival. The Group Chat spied her looking decidedly bump-free while taking a stroll through Sydney’s eastern suburbs on Monday
New mum Tamie was also pictured out and about in Woollahra last Friday
While the bébé garçon is Tamie’s first child, her husband, French celebrity chef Guillaume Brahimi, has four older children from his previous marriage. (Tamie and Guillaume are pictured on their wedding day at the Musée Rodin in Paris in June 2023)
The Group Chat spied her looking decidedly bump-free while taking a stroll through Sydney’s eastern suburbs with her sister Katie this week.
Katie famously wed partner Ali Rosenberg in a barefoot ceremony in Italy in 2023 during the same European summer that Tamie and Guillaume said ‘I do’.
While the bébé garçon is Tamie’s first child, Guillaume has four older children, Constance, Honor, Violette and Loïc, from his previous marriage to Sanchia Brahimi (née Curran), which lasted 16 years before ending acrimoniously in early 2016.
Tamie and Guillaume’s old-money wedding at the iconic Musée Rodin in Paris attracted guests including Karl Stefanovic, who emceed the reception and is married to Tamie’s former Mara & Mine business partner Jasmine Yarbrough; Lachlan and Sarah Murdoch; Michael ‘Wippa’ Wipfli and his wife, Lisa; as well as culinary stars Matt Moran and Shannon Bennett.
Nick, you’re barred
Boutique property developer Nick Couloumbis will have to find a new haunt after being banished from Club Rose Bay following an alleged late-night bust-up with eastern suburbs blueblood Angus Onisforou.
Couloumbis has pleaded not guilty to the charges, but one thing is certain: there’ll be no post-court schooners at the harbourside club anytime soon.
Despite texting me to say he wouldn’t be appearing in court on Thursday because he was ‘unwell’, I understand Couloumbis later slipped into the courtroom alongside his sharply dressed barrister Bryan Wrench.
The incident allegedly unfolded on Saturday, May 23, at Club Rose Bay, where Couloumbis and a group of eight men allegedly confronted Onisforou and his close friend Luke Gaffney.
Onisforou is the polo-playing son of Greek-Cypriot Australian cattle baron and property investor Theo Onisforou, the man widely credited with transforming Paddington’s luxury shopping precinct, The Intersection.
According to an eyewitness, the confrontation escalated almost immediately.
Commercial property developer Nicholas Couloumbis claims he was acting in self-defence
Angus Onisforou (seen with his model ex-girlfriend Meghan Blake Irwin in March last year) was involved in an alleged altercation with Nicholas Couloumbis at Club Rose Bay on May 23
‘He went up to him and said, “You’re a c**t, and I’m gonna get you and I’m gonna get your father,”‘ the witness claimed.
The eyewitness alleged Couloumbis then punched Gaffney in the face.
‘Then security rushed in and broke it up,’ the witness added.
NSW Police confirmed officers were called to the incident.
‘On Saturday, May 23, 2026, officers from Eastern Suburbs Police Area Command were informed of an alleged assault between a 30-year-old man and a 26-year-old man at a licensed premises in Rose Bay,’ a police spokesperson said.
‘Following inquiries, police arrested a 30-year-old man at an address in Pyrmont on Thursday, May 28, 2026.
‘He was taken to Surry Hills Police Station and charged with attempting to stalk or intimidate with intent to cause fear of harm, and common assault.’
The origins of the dispute appear to stretch well beyond your average Saturday-night bar scuffle, although those close to the matter are offering wildly different accounts of what allegedly sparked it.
According to one version of events, detectives seized CCTV footage from the venue and investigators believe the matter is ‘an open-and-shut case’, with Onisforou and Gaffney allegedly having had no prior dealings with Couloumbis before the confrontation.
Under his bail conditions, Couloumbis is barred from entering Rose Bay RSL, trading as Club Rose Bay, or coming within 50 metres of the venue (pictured)
Couloumbis disputes that account, maintaining he acted in self-defence and intends to vigorously defend the charges.
Meanwhile, sources familiar with the matter point to simmering tensions over a controversial development application lodged by Couloumbis’ company, Toohey Miller.
If Couloumbis was hoping to drown his legal woes with a quiet beer at Club Rose Bay, he’ll have to do it somewhere else.
Under his bail conditions, he is barred from entering Rose Bay RSL, trading as Club Rose Bay, or coming within 50 metres of the venue.
He is also prohibited from contacting or associating with Angus Onisforou, Luke Gaffney, or any staff or security employed by the club.
Read the full article here
