City Chic Collective
Miller's Retail was an Australian apparel and discount-variety retail group that expanded through acquisitions before divesting its discount division and changing its name to Specialty Fashion Group in 2006.
Last updated October 30, 2026
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Overview
City Chic Collective is an Australian women's fashion retail group whose principal business is the design, merchandising and sale of plus-size apparel. The company developed from Miller's Retail, a diversified Australian clothing and discount-retailing operator founded in 1992 by Gary Perlstein and Ian Miller. After a period of expansion through acquisitions, the group changed its name to Specialty Fashion Group in 2006 and progressively narrowed its portfolio. The company's strategic identity changed materially in 2018. Specialty Fashion Group sold the Millers, Katies, Autograph, Crossroads and Rivers businesses to Noni B, subsequently known as Mosaic Brands, while retaining the City Chic operation. The remaining group was renamed City Chic Collective in November 2018. This transaction left City Chic as the group's central brand and established its current emphasis on extended-size women's fashion rather than mass-market multi-brand apparel retailing. City Chic serves customers through physical stores, websites, international e-commerce and selected wholesale relationships. Its merchandise has included dresses, tops, knitwear, denim, trousers, outerwear, swimwear, lingerie and other intimates, footwear, jewellery and accessories. The proposition is oriented toward fashionable plus-size women and includes products for everyday wear, work, social occasions, events, weddings and formal dressing. City Chic has historically operated stores in Australia and New Zealand while using digital channels to reach customers in North America and Europe. Following the 2018 portfolio simplification, City Chic Collective expanded through acquisitions and asset purchases. It bought the US plus-size intimates business Hips & Curves in 2019, acquired the e-commerce assets of Avenue Stores later that year, purchased the Evans brand, website and wholesale operation from the failed Arcadia Group in 2020, and acquired European plus-size online retailer Navabi in 2021. These transactions were intended to add international digital reach, customer databases, product capability and established plus-size labels. The international strategy was subsequently revised. City Chic Collective sold its Evans business in 2023 and discontinued the Navabi brand, ending its direct EMEA operation. It sold Avenue to FullBeauty Brands in 2024 and raised capital as it concentrated on its core City Chic business and reduced international complexity. The group also introduced a bridal range in 2024, extending its offer into an important occasionwear category. City Chic Collective is therefore best understood as a specialist fashion retailer rather than a broad Australian department-store or apparel conglomerate. Its competitive proposition rests on size-inclusive design, specialist fit knowledge, occasion-led product, brand recognition among plus-size consumers and a combination of stores and e-commerce. The company's public-market identity remains tied to its Australian listing, while its operating model has increasingly emphasized digital commerce, selective international partnerships and disciplined portfolio management. Miller's Retail was an Australian retail company established in 1992 by Gary Perlstein and Ian Miller. It distributed women's apparel and accessories and developed a large multi-brand store network in Australia and New Zealand. The company became one of Australia's sizeable fashion retailers during the 1990s and early 2000s, combining its original Miller's business with acquired apparel and discount-variety chains. Its expansion included the acquisition of the Katies women's clothing chain from Coles Myer in 1999 and the purchase of the Crazy Clark's and Go-Lo businesses in 2000. By the mid-2000s, its apparel portfolio included Miller's Fashion Club, Katies, Crossroads and 1626, with more than 700 stores collectively. The company also operated a Discount Variety Division comprising Go-Lo, Crazy Clark's, Look Sharp Concepts and Chickenfeed, which together had 335 stores when the division was sold in November 2005. The discount-variety business became a major source of financial pressure. Competitive price discounting damaged profitability, while high inventory levels and problems in buying and business valuation contributed to a substantial loss in the year ended 30 June 2005. Miller's Retail reported revenue of A$1.12 billion and a net loss after tax of A$103.4 million for that period. In response, management reviewed buying practices, addressed excess inventory and sold the Discount Variety Division to private-equity investors Catalyst Investment Manager and CHAMP. The divested business was subsequently operated as Australian Discount Retail. Miller's Fashion Club was a central feature of the company's customer proposition. It functioned as a loyalty or membership program and had more than 2.8 million members across Australia and New Zealand according to the historical account of the business. The group was therefore not simply a single clothing label: it was a listed, multi-format retailer whose operations ranged from value apparel to discount variety. Ian Miller left the managing director role in 2003, although he continued for a period as managing director of the Apparel Division and remained an executive director. In December 2006, Miller's Retail Ltd changed its name to Specialty Fashion Group. The renamed company continued to acquire and reorganize retail brands, including Chain Reaction in 2006 and Rivers in 2013, before ultimately selling Millers and most of its remaining portfolio to Noni B, later known as Mosaic Brands, in July 2018. Only the City Chic business remained with the original group, which adopted the City Chic Collective name in November 2018. Accordingly, Miller's Retail is best understood as the historical corporate identity and predecessor of the later Specialty Fashion Group and City Chic Collective, rather than as a currently operating standalone brand. The Millers retail chain itself was transferred to Mosaic Brands in 2018 and was later affected by Mosaic's 2024 receivership and store closures. The historical Miller's Retail entity has no separate current operating status identified in the supplied reference material.
History
City Chic Collective traces its origins to Miller's Retail, founded in Australia in 1992 by Gary Perlstein and Ian Miller. The original company distributed women's clothing and accessories and expanded through acquisitions. It acquired the Katies womenswear chain from Coles Myer in 1999 and the Crazy Clark's and Go-Lo discount-variety businesses in 2000. Miller's Retail listed on the Australian Securities Exchange in May 1998 and became a substantial multi-brand retailer. The group encountered serious problems in its discount-variety division during the first half of the 2000s. Competitive price pressure, high inventory and financial restructuring contributed to a significant loss for the year ended 30 June 2005. In November 2005, Miller's Retail sold its discount-variety operations, including Go-Lo, Crazy Clark's, Look Sharp Concepts and Chickenfeed, to investors associated with Catalyst Investment Manager and CHAMP. The disposal reduced the group's exposure to a troubled division and began a longer process of portfolio rationalisation. In December 2006, Miller's Retail changed its name to Specialty Fashion Group. The renamed business continued to operate apparel brands including Millers, Katies, Crossroads and 1626, while also acquiring or developing additional retail concepts. It acquired Chain Reaction in 2006 and retained the Big City Chic stores that formed the basis of the group's eventual specialist plus-size strategy. Specialty Fashion Group later acquired Rivers in 2013 and the Maggie T brand in 2018. A decisive restructuring took place in July 2018. Specialty Fashion Group sold Autograph, Crossroads, Katies, Millers and Rivers to Noni B, which was later renamed Mosaic Brands. The sale was motivated by the group's losses and management's assessment that City Chic offered the strongest growth potential. The transaction left City Chic as the principal remaining operation, and the company adopted the name City Chic Collective in November 2018. The newly focused group pursued international expansion through acquisitions. In April 2019 it bought Hips & Curves, a US plus-size intimates business. In October of the same year it acquired Avenue Stores' e-commerce assets from administration. In December 2020 it agreed to purchase Evans' brand, website and wholesale business from Arcadia Group, although Evans's physical stores were not part of the deal. In July 2021 it acquired Navabi, a European online plus-size retailer. The expansion was later partly reversed. City Chic Collective sold Evans to AK Retail in August 2023 and discontinued Navabi, effectively ending its direct EMEA operating presence. In June 2024 it sold Avenue to FullBeauty Brands. The company also reported a capital-raising and a renewed effort to simplify the business, while continuing to operate City Chic stores and online channels in its core markets. In August 2024, it launched its first bridal line. As of January 2024, the group operated approximately 90 stores across Australia and New Zealand together with a global online store. Its current identity is that of a specialist, size-inclusive women's fashion retailer. The business combines physical retail with e-commerce and focuses on fit, fashion and occasion-led products for plus-size customers. Its history illustrates a transition from a diversified Australian retail conglomerate to a more concentrated international specialist brand group. Miller's Retail Ltd was founded in Australia in 1992 by Gary Perlstein and Ian Miller as a distributor and retailer of women's clothing and accessories. The company grew during the 1990s by building its own apparel operations and acquiring established retail chains. Its most significant apparel acquisition was Katies, purchased from Coles Myer in 1999. In 2000, the group expanded into discount variety through the acquisition of Crazy Clark's and Go-Lo. The resulting business operated across multiple retail formats. Its apparel division included Miller's Fashion Club, Katies, Crossroads and 1626, while its Discount Variety Division included Go-Lo, Crazy Clark's, Look Sharp Concepts and Chickenfeed. The group had more than 700 apparel stores and 335 discount-variety stores by the time the latter division was sold. Miller's Fashion Club also supported the business through a large loyalty base, reported at more than 2.8 million members in Australia and New Zealand. Miller's Retail became publicly listed on the Australian Securities Exchange in May 1998. Its rapid expansion and multi-brand structure later created operational and financial difficulties. Price competition in discount variety reduced margins, and the company acknowledged excessive inventory and the need to improve buying practices. For the financial year ended 30 June 2005, it reported A$1.12 billion in sales and a net loss after tax of A$103.4 million. The loss was linked to restructuring and revaluation issues affecting the Discount Variety Division as well as broader trading problems. In November 2005, Miller's Retail sold the Discount Variety Division to Catalyst Investment Manager and CHAMP. The separated business was renamed Australian Discount Retail. The divestment was intended to remove a loss-making and strategically distracting operation from Miller's Retail and to concentrate the group more closely on apparel. Australian Discount Retail later experienced administration, liquidation and receivership, but those subsequent proceedings related to the divested entity. Ian Miller left the managing director position in 2003. He remained involved for a period as managing director of the Apparel Division and continued as an executive director. In December 2006, the parent company changed its name from Miller's Retail Ltd to Specialty Fashion Group. That transition marked the end of Miller's Retail as the corporate name, although Millers remained one of the operating fashion brands. Under Specialty Fashion Group, the company continued portfolio management and acquisitions. It bought Chain Reaction in December 2006, retaining the Big City Chic stores while reworking other acquired formats. It acquired the Rivers chain in November 2013 and purchased the Maggie T brand in March 2018, relaunching it through Millers. The group ultimately decided to focus on City Chic and sold Millers, Katies, Crossroads, Autograph and Rivers to Noni B in July 2018. The retained business was renamed City Chic Collective in November 2018. Miller's Retail therefore represents the formative corporate period of a business that later became Specialty Fashion Group and then City Chic Collective. The historical company was a significant Australian multi-brand retailer, but it no longer operates under the Miller's Retail corporate identity. The Millers chain continued under Mosaic Brands after the 2018 transaction and was later affected by Mosaic's financial collapse and closures in 2024.
- 2024
Avenue is sold and bridalwear launches
[1]Avenue is sold to FullBeauty Brands and City Chic introduces its first bridal range.
- 2023
EMEA withdrawal
[1]Evans is sold and Navabi is discontinued as the company reduces its EMEA activities.
- 2021
Navabi acquisition
[1]The group acquires European online retailer Navabi.
- 2020
Evans acquisition agreement
[1]City Chic agrees to acquire Evans's brand, website and wholesale business from Arcadia Group.
- 2019
Hips & Curves and Avenue expansion
[1]The group acquires Hips & Curves and the e-commerce assets of Avenue Stores.
- 2018
Portfolio narrowed to City Chic
[1]The company sells five major apparel chains to Noni B and retains City Chic as its core business.
- 2018
City Chic Collective name adopted
[1]The remaining operation is rebranded City Chic Collective.
- 2018
Millers portfolio sold to Noni B
[1]Millers and four related brands are sold to Noni B, later Mosaic Brands, while City Chic remains with the original company.
- 2013
Rivers acquisition
[1]Specialty Fashion Group acquires Rivers, adding another retail chain to the portfolio.
- 2006
Corporate name changes to Specialty Fashion Group
[1]Miller's Retail adopts the Specialty Fashion Group name and acquires Chain Reaction.
Products and positioning
Specialist, fashion-led plus-size women's apparel with a strong occasionwear and digital-commerce orientation. A broad Australian multi-brand retailer focused on accessible women's fashion, value apparel and discount-variety merchandise. Its customer strategy was strongly associated with the Miller's Fashion Club loyalty program and a large store footprint.
Plus-size women's fashion · 2024
City Chic Bridal
The group's core label offers fashion-led clothing for plus-size women, including dresses, tops, knitwear, denim, trousers, outerwear, swimwear, footwear and accessories. The range spans everyday dressing, workwear, social occasions and formal events, with specialist attention to extended sizing and fit. The group's first bridal line, launched in 2024, extending City Chic's occasionwear proposition into wedding apparel for plus-size customers.
Plus-size intimates
Hips & Curves
A US plus-size intimates business acquired by City Chic Collective in 2019. Its product focus includes lingerie and related intimate apparel for extended-size customers.
Plus-size women's fashion
Evans
A British plus-size fashion brand whose brand, website and wholesale business were acquired by City Chic Collective in 2020. The transaction excluded the physical store estate; the business was later sold to AK Retail in 2023.
Online plus-size fashion
Navabi
A European online plus-size fashion retailer acquired in 2021. City Chic Collective discontinued the brand during its 2023 withdrawal from direct EMEA operations.
Plus-size women's fashion e-commerce
Avenue
Avenue's e-commerce assets were acquired in 2019. City Chic Collective later sold the Avenue brand to FullBeauty Brands in 2024.
Women's apparel and loyalty retail
Miller's Fashion Club
Miller's Fashion Club was the group's core apparel retail format and an important customer-membership proposition. It sold accessible women's clothing and accessories through a large store network and supported repeat purchasing through a loyalty club. The historical account attributes more than 2.8 million members to the program across Australia and New Zealand.
Women's apparel
Katies
Katies was a women's clothing chain acquired from Coles Myer in 1999. It formed part of Miller's Retail's apparel division and was later included among the brands sold to Noni B in 2018.
Women's apparel
Crossroads
Crossroads was one of the principal women's apparel brands operated within Miller's Retail's apparel division. It remained part of the broader Specialty Fashion Group portfolio and was sold to Noni B together with Millers, Katies, Autograph and Rivers in 2018.
Women's apparel
1626
1626 was identified as one of the women's clothing labels in Miller's Retail's apparel division. The supplied reference does not provide enough detail to describe its assortment or later corporate ownership.
Discount variety retail
Go-Lo
Go-Lo was part of Miller's Retail's Discount Variety Division, alongside Crazy Clark's, Look Sharp Concepts and Chickenfeed. The division was sold in 2005 after profitability was damaged by intense price competition.
Discount variety retail · 2000
Crazy Clark's
Crazy Clark's was a discount-variety chain acquired by Miller's Retail in 2000. It was included in the sale of the Discount Variety Division to Catalyst Investment Manager and CHAMP in 2005.
Discount variety retail
Look Sharp Concepts
Look Sharp Concepts operated within Miller's Retail's discount-variety portfolio. It was one of the four named chains transferred when the company sold its Discount Variety Division in 2005.
Discount variety retail
Chickenfeed
Chickenfeed was a discount-variety chain held in Miller's Retail's Discount Variety Division. It was included in the 2005 divestment of that division.
Brand decisions
2024
Sell Avenue to FullBeauty BrandsM&ABackground
The company continued simplifying its portfolio after reducing its EMEA presence.
Action taken
City Chic sold the Avenue brand to FullBeauty Brands.
Aftermath
The disposal further concentrated the group around its City Chic core business.
2024
Launch the first City Chic bridal lineProduct launchBackground
City Chic sought to extend its occasionwear offer for plus-size customers.
Action taken
The company launched its first bridal collection.
Aftermath
The launch broadened the brand's event and wedding assortment.
2023
Exit direct EMEA operationsStrategyBackground
The company reassessed the complexity and performance of its European and broader EMEA activities.
Action taken
It sold Evans to AK Retail and shut down Navabi.
Aftermath
City Chic Collective reduced its international operating footprint and refocused on its core markets and City Chic brand.
2020
Acquire Evans brand assetsM&ABackground
Arcadia Group entered administration, making the Evans brand and related digital and wholesale operations available.
Action taken
City Chic agreed to purchase Evans's brand, website and wholesale business, excluding its stores.
Aftermath
The acquisition expanded City Chic Collective's international brand portfolio before the later EMEA withdrawal.
2018
Concentrate the group on City ChicStrategyBackground
Specialty Fashion Group faced losses and identified City Chic as its strongest strategic opportunity.
Action taken
The company sold Autograph, Crossroads, Katies, Millers and Rivers to Noni B and retained the City Chic operation.
Aftermath
The remaining business adopted the City Chic Collective name and became a specialist plus-size fashion group.
2018
Sale of Millers and most of the apparel portfolioM&ABackground
Specialty Fashion Group cited substantial losses and the perceived potential of City Chic when deciding to simplify its portfolio.
Action taken
Millers, Autograph, Crossroads, Katies and Rivers were sold to Noni B, later renamed Mosaic Brands.
Aftermath
City Chic was left as the principal business retained by the original group, which changed its name to City Chic Collective later in 2018.
2006
Corporate rebranding as Specialty Fashion GroupStrategyBackground
Following the divestment of the discount-variety operations, the company continued managing a multi-brand apparel portfolio.
Action taken
Miller's Retail Ltd changed its corporate name to Specialty Fashion Group in December 2006.
Aftermath
Miller's Retail ceased to be the corporate identity, although the Millers retail brand continued within the successor group's portfolio.
2005
Exit from discount varietyStrategyBackground
A price war and major losses in the Discount Variety Division weakened the group's financial position. Miller's Retail also reported excessive inventory and undertook restructuring.
Action taken
The company sold Go-Lo, Crazy Clark's, Look Sharp Concepts and Chickenfeed, representing 335 stores, to Catalyst Investment Manager and CHAMP.
Aftermath
The purchaser operated the business as Australian Discount Retail, while Miller's Retail concentrated more closely on its apparel operations.
Sales and net loss after tax. A$1.12 billion sales for the year ended 30 June 2005; net loss after tax of A$103.4 million (Year ended 30 June 2005)
Recent events
City Chic reports FY21 results and trading update[2]
Reported:
City Chic reported unaudited FY21 sales revenue of $258 million, up 32.9%, and comparable sales growth of 31.6%. It said FY22 trading to date had exceeded budget; underlying EBITDA was expected to be in the range of $42 million to $42.5 million.
City Chic acquires Navabi[2]
Reported:
City Chic acquired 100% of European plus-size eCommerce retailer Navabi, including its assets and liabilities, for AUD$9.6 million in cash. The deal was signed on July 23, 2021.
Sources2 sources
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