Fashion loves a Cinderella story. Amid the turmoil of the near-collapse – and potential resurrection – of Australian Fashion Week, the closure of several brands including Dion Lee, and the general downturn in retail, any green shoot is worth celebrating.

Effie Kats knows this almost better than anyone in the industry, having come close to total financial collapse five years ago, when her first label, Zachary, imploded after her main investor allegedly conned her into signing away her business and ran up large debts in her name.

Of her two brands – Effie Kats and Bayse Brand – it’s the eponymous line, which she runs with her father Bill, that’s garnering the most attention, especially after this year’s spring racing carnival, during which she dressed 20 celebrities including model Montana Cox, radio host Carrie Bickmore and Kylie Rogers, the new chief executive of the Victoria Racing Club.

So, how does a brand walk the line between a viral moment and over-exposure? And how did 34-year-old Kats, a photography school drop-out with no formal design training, become one of the hottest names in Australian fashion?

Dressing women such as Rogers and Nicole Pappas – the wife of Lexus’ Australian chief executive, John “JP” Pappas – delivered Kats a credibility bounce that has helped tip her from “influencer brand” to a genuine contender alongside the likes of DISSH and Aje, both of whose founders appeared on The Australian Financial Review’s annual Young Rich list.

“For us, influencers, obviously, are very important … But there’s a lot more to being in this industry,” she says. “Working with people like [Rogers], obviously, she’s got her network, people will see her, be like, my god, I love your suit. Where is that from? And then that opens up another clientele for us.”

According to Kats, sales are up 35 per cent on 2023, and she’s on track to top $1 million in profit by June 30. Last month, she threw a lavish dinner at Melbourne institution Grossi Florentino for 70 guests, with many heavy-hitters in Australian fashion and media, including Lindy Klim, Nadia Bartel and Lana Wilkinson, in attendance (and prolifically posting to social media).

Kats admits her father was initially reluctant for the business to fund the dinner, but off the back of the event, the brand posted its first week of sales in the six figures. Immediately, plans were being hatched for a “matcher” event in Sydney, the brand’s second-biggest market.