ALTER IT FOUNTAIN GATE

23.02.12

Alter It is Victoria's largest clothing alterations business, and has become an icon in the industry in the ten years they have been operating.

As a franchised business, Alter It stores are all consistent to the brand, with bold interactive and fun graphics and interiors, however when a different style of fit out was implemented in the Melbourne Central kiosk in 2011 with highly successful results, the owner decided to explore the idea of evolving the brand to a new look.

The idea was to keep the core essence and identity of Alter It, but use different materials to achieve a more artistic, natural and environmentally friendly look.

For the shopfront at Alter It Fountain Gate, we used plywood that we stained red and hand-painted with a classic Alter It "Mitch the Stitch" graphic and stencilled with signature "its". This gives the store a far different and more environmentally friendly look than the high volume printed graphic panels typical of other Alter It stores.

The store counter we designed as a stand-out feature, with large custom graphics laser-burned into plywood for a rustic yet refined effect.

To bring a unique, artistic element to the store, and to reinforce the sustainable look, we designed and made custom lampshades comprised of measuring tapes, trimmed with bright red bows.  These are a cute and quirky feature that make a statement about the business and is totally unique to Alter It.

Alter It fit-outs are traditionally designed in an open theatre layout, which gives the brand a point of difference while remaining practical and adaptable, however Fountain Gate management requested that the workshop area be screened off from the front counter area so that passers by could not see the sewing machines.

Our solution was to create a partial screen made from large bobbins on poles that effectively closes the area, but that staff and customers are still able to look through to maintain the open theatre proposition that Alter It is known for.