Wollongong natives Tessa McMillan and Natasha Price know Illawarra women take their fashion seriously.
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While shoppers may not have access to the sheer volume of stores as capital cities, the pair believe that's no reason women shouldn't be able to wear the latest looks at a reasonable price.
With that in mind, the 20-somethings opened Elba - a pop-up women's clothing store, selling everything from T-shirts to party dresses for less than $100.
McMillan, a University of Wollongong commerce student, said inspiration for the store was born on a recent trip to Melbourne, where the friends fell in love with the city's boutiques.
"We walked the streets and saw heaps of little pop-up stores," she said.
"We both love fashion and we just thought 'why not?' and decided to give it a go."
The pair have set up shop in the quirky Central Chambers in the Crown Street Mall, which is already home to menswear store Quay Collective, retro shop Stillwater Haze and Milk Thieves.
Despite the relatively cheap rent, McMillan said the chambers appealed to the girls' desire to offer a slightly different shopping experience.
"It's so cool up there, it just had a good vibe," she said.
"It feels a bit like Melbourne or New York, it's quirky and unique ... we really believe it could be the next fashion hub for the CBD, it's just got a great feeling".
The duo are hoping to add to the building's alternative feel with their store, which stocks the latest looks selected from warehouses in Sydney's Surry Hills.
Expect playsuits in light fabrics, long, flowing dresses, striped pants and dresses with open backs.
All the ensembles are named after islands in the Mediterranean, a tribute to Price's roots, and many outfits are advertised via social media - a key tool for a start-up operation.
"We've done all our advertising through social media," McMillan said.
"It's great because it's free and it's instant - we can put a dress up on Facebook and straight away we have girls wanting us to put sizes away for them.
"They'll see someone wearing it and they'll just love it on; it's an awesome way of advertising."
Despite the store's initial success, the pair only plan to keep it open until the end of February but may move trading online if strong sales continue.