Founders behind activewear company STAX. are set to launch another business

A young couple who went from rags to riches after launching multimillion-dollar activewear company STAX. have started a new business venture. 

Co-founder Don Robertson, 33, and wife Matilda, 30, both from Perth, are planning to launch clothing brand Second Left on July 15; a venture that has left their many influencer and celebrity fans delighted. 

As the stylish couple adore fashion, they wanted to have the opportunity to design everyday attire rather than restricting themselves to activewear. 

‘Second Left is a step away from activewear; We want to turn towards designing cool streetwear and high-end fashion pieces at affordable prices,’ Don told FEMAIL. 

By the end of this year, STAX. is estimated to turn over an astonishing $50million in revenue after a record-breaking year – and Second Left has already gained a number of loyal fans online. 

In July the stylish duo will launch their second brand Second Left – a clothing company that will offer streetwear and fashion pieces at affordable prices

In April the duo soft launched the first Second Left ‘Before Winter’ collection to give intrigued shoppers a taste of what’s to come. 

The collection features everyday basics – such as t-shirts, shorts and tank tops – that can be layered underneath outfits during the cooler months.  

When asked about the meaning behind the name, Don said the pair drew inspiration from how they design the clothing collections and celebrate being different from others. 

‘With everything we do, we try to take the road less travelled and be different,’ Don said. 

‘So we thought if the world is going right, we’re going to go left. But to complicate things a little more, we’re going to take the second left.’  

In April the duo soft launched the first Second Left ‘Before Winter’ collection to give intrigued shoppers a taste of what’s to come (pictured) 

The collection features everyday basics – such as t-shirts, shorts and tank tops – that can be layered underneath outfits during the cooler months

Over the past year STAX. has grown exponentially, as this time last year the company only had 10 employees and now has 60.    

The brand turned over a whopping $1million dollars in revenue in just three days after dropped the Premium Seamless Volume 5.1 (PSV5.1) collection in March. 

On March 1, the brand opened its first store down King Street in the Sydney CBD, which attracted both local and interstate customers on the first day – with some lining up from the early hours of 4am to be the first in store. 

At the moment Don and Matilda are scoping out locations for a Melbourne store with future plans to open pop-up locations in Perth and Los Angeles in the US.

On March 1, the brand opened its first store down King Street in the Sydney CBD, which attracted both local and interstate customers on the first day – with some lining up from the early hours of 4am to be the first in store

At the moment Don and Matilda are scoping out locations for a Melbourne store with future plans to open pop-up store locations in Perth and Los Angeles in the US

But it hasn’t always been smooth sailing, as it took around three years for Don to master the perfect way to make the very first STAX. ‘seamless’ collection. 

‘Five years ago with one of the first seamless samples we did, I was so excited and had been working on it for months,’ Don said. 

‘But when we received it, Matilda tried it on and it was so see through and tragic, it was almost laughable.’ 

Recalling the situation, Don described the experience as ‘deflating’ and around the same time he also struggled finding a manufacturer that would be willing to work with the brand. 

By the end of this year, STAX. is estimated to turn over an astonishing $50million in revenue after a record-breaking year – and Second Left has already gained a number of loyal fans online

Along with the success, the pair have learnt how to manage the ongoing stress and anxiety associated with running a business. 

‘One thing people don’t teach you is how to cope with growth – it’s a different challenge,’ Don said, adding: ‘The stress that goes with it, it’s really overwhelming.’    

Another challenge is the fact that neither Don or Matilda have a background in business and admitted to ‘learning on the job’. 

Matilda said: ‘We do the opposite to what a lot of people do in business and there’s definitely a lot of anxiety that comes with it, but we take it as lessons and ways to learn.’  

Along with the success, the pair have learnt how to manage the ongoing stress and anxiety associated with running a business 

In 2012 STAX. was originally a fitness supplement brand called ‘Muscle Stax’ that was stocked at a local gym Don worked at as a receptionist. 

But when the sports club became bankrupt he lost ‘everything’.

‘We couldn’t get back into the gym and the stock was seized, which left me in $80,000 worth of debt,’ Don said. 

Despite the financial hardship, STAX. launched in 2015 and is expected turned over $35million by the end of this financial year. 

Since then the business has gained a mass following, capturing the attention of celebrities, including actress Jennifer Lopez, singer Rita Ora and singer Lizzo.  

The business was originally a fitness supplement brand called ‘Muscle Stax’ sold at the gym Don worked at, but when the club became bankrupt he lost ‘everything’ 

STAX. was born out of the spare room in Don’s mum’s house where they packed orders for months before moving to Matilda’s dad’s house and worked from the living room. 

For the first couple of years Don was crippled by the fear of failure looming in the back of his mind but he was determined to succeed. 

‘It was truly tunnel vision and I had to figure out a way to make it work rather than focusing on the massive sum,’ he said. 

The couple took ‘every opportunity’ to show off the brand in public spaces by working with local influencers, taking photos outdoors and selling stock at local markets – all while working full-time. 

STAX. was born out of the spare room in Don’s mum’s house where they packed orders for months before moving to Matilda’s dad’s house and worked from the living room

The duo couldn’t afford to hire professional models and gifted the products to local influencers to share photos on social media.

‘Word of mouth travels quickly in Perth and we honed in on a modest approach of making one sale rather than selling out an entire collection,’ Matilda said.

Don, who designs the pieces, said Matilda joined the brand at the ‘perfect time’ and adds a feminine touch to the business. 

Seeking a new opportunity to grow the brand further, the duo moved to Sydney in February 2019 and started operating out of their small rented apartment. 

‘We were a couple kids from Perth who had no idea what we were doing and considered Sydney to be place where “everything happens”,’ Matilda laughed.   

Seeking a new opportunity to grow the brand further, the duo moved to Sydney in February 2019 and started operating out of their small rented apartment 

Over the past three years as the brand has grown to attract an international following, they have moved four times to bigger warehouse and office spaces. 

‘We wanted to work full-time for as long as possible and in 2019 we were supported by Matilda’s salary,’ Don said.   

Matilda worked from home in the STAX. warehouse and would help Don pack orders on her lunch break.  

‘We were having our best few months yet and so we ordered the latest collection in bulk – but then Covid hit,’ Don said. 

The couple lost all communication with their supplier and the latest collection premium seamless version two was lost at sea. 

‘We had no idea when or if the stock would arrive,’ Don said, Matilda added: ‘We couldn’t do anything, we just had to hope and pray it arrived.’  

Over the past three years as the brand has grown to attract an international following, they have moved four times to bigger warehouse and office spaces 

The premium seamless version two range sent the brand viral online and featured tights, crop tops and shorts. Once launched the collection sold out in 60 seconds

Eight weeks later to their surprise the shipment filled with the new stock arrived on Sydney shores, which became their ‘breakthrough’ collection.  

‘Because of Covid we couldn’t hire professionals so Matilda modelled the new line and I took the photos,’ Don said. 

The premium seamless version two range sent the brand viral online and featured tights, crop tops and shorts.  

Once launched the collection sold out in 60 seconds. 

Due to the ‘crazy demand’ the brand implemented a pre-sale model where customers could purchase products that were out of stock. 

‘People were willing to wait eight weeks to get their hands on the latest products,’ Matilda said.  

‘The passion and core value has always been focused on the fashion – we offer luxe designer pieces at an affordable price,’ Don said