a.k.a. Brands (AKA) 27th Annual ICR Conference 2025 summary

Leadership and company overview

• CEO Ciaran Long, appointed full-time in 2023, brings experience from Walmart and Sam's Club.

• The portfolio includes four brands: two women's (Princess Polly, Petal & Pup) and two men's streetwear (Culture Kings, mnml).

• Three brands originated in Australia, leveraging organic U.S. demand and trend transfer between hemispheres.

Brand strategies and market positioning

• Princess Polly targets teens and college-age consumers with on-trend, accessible fashion and influencer-driven marketing.

• Petal & Pup has expanded from dresses to a broader lifestyle offering, targeting women aged 25-45.

• Culture Kings offers experiential retail with unique in-store features and strong private label growth.

• mnml focuses on runway-inspired, accessible streetwear.

Test-and-repeat model and operational efficiency

• All brands use a test-and-repeat model, launching new styles weekly and scaling winners.

• This approach enables rapid trend response, efficient marketing, reduced markdowns, and improved EBITDA.

• Culture Kings' Loiter brand saw 100% sales growth in Q3, validating the model for men's streetwear.