Atelier New Regime Opens Unique 1st Freestanding Store [Photos]

Montreal-based men's street wear fashion brand Atelier New Regime has opened its first brick-and-mortar store in Montreal's St. Henri area. Located at 4632 Notre Dame Ouest, the store's interior is almost completely orange in colour. 

The edgy, youthful brand was founded in Montreal in 2009 and is owned by a three-man team -- Setiz Taheri, Koku and Gildas Awuye. Much of its product is branded and until last week, was only available at a number of retailers through Atelier New Regime's wholesale channels. Recently, the brand teamed-up with Montreal retailer Off the Hook on an all-velour capsule collection, for example.  

The new Montreal store measures about 600 square feet, according to Mr. Taheri, and is in a retail space that was formerly occupied by a tailor who retired after 25 years. The store's facade will continue to feature orange-covered windows for the next two weeks to continue to build interest in the area. Contractors involved in the store's construction were a collective by the name of Les Projets Deraspe, said Mr. Teheri, and the racks, hangers and furniture were custom made by Montreal-based The Make Co.

Farla Efros, President of leading retail consultancy HRC Advisory, said that the bold colour combination will stand out and draw in Millennials and those classified as 'Generation Z'. These youthful consumers will in turn Tweet, Snapchat and Instagram about the store. She thinks that the new store will draw curiosity and help establish a new customer base, while also noting that Montreal is a city which has spawned many successful designers and retail concepts. 

Although there are no immediate plans to expand by opening new freestanding stores, Mr. Taheri said that Atelier New Regime will continue to expand its wholesale distribution Canada-wide. 

Montreal's working-class St. Henri area hasn't been traditionally an address for retailers, though that appears to be slowly changing. The centrally located neighbourhood is just west of downtown Montreal, and is directly south of affluent Westmount

All photos are via Atelier New Regime.