Canadian fashion and lifestyle retailer Kit and Ace will open its Australian flagship store in Sydney's Martin Place this week.
The 360sqm space will feature the first in store technical atelier outside of North America.
This will offer retail space for emerging local designers to work for Kit and Ace and showcase their technical skills.
Kit and Ace cofounder and president Shannon Wilson believes the concept will provide positive opportunities for students hoping to break into the market.
“We engage local design schools to handpick designers that work in residence for a 10 month period.
“The Technical Atelier is an incredible learning opportunity for up-and-coming designers – we encourage them to take existing product and create regionally inspired designs, elements of which often get integrated into our product line.”
In line with the store opening, fashion design graduates Cassandra Morgan and Erica Villafuerte will take up residency as the store's first ateliers.
Morgan and Villafuerte will offer services such as customisation, monogramming and complimentary tailoring as well as developing new designs based on current Kit and Ace styles.
The Martin Place flagship store will open its doors on Thursday April 21.