Song for the Mute

What Song for the Mute does

Song for the Mute is an Australian independent fashion label founded in 2010 in Melbourne by Melvin Tanaya and Lyna Ty, operating under Song for the Mute Pty Ltd (NSW, Australia). The company designs and sells premium apparel, footwear, and accessories across menswear and womenswear, presenting each seasonal release as a numbered "chapter" with its own narrative theme — 26 chapters have been released between 2010 and 2026 on a consistent bi-annual cadence. Core product categories include outerwear, shirting, tops, pants, shorts, dresses, and skirts, supplemented by an accessories line (eyewear, headwear, bags, socks). The brand's design language emphasizes experimental fabric treatments, gender-fluid silhouettes, and long-form storytelling.

The business runs a hybrid direct-to-consumer and wholesale model. Direct sales come from the songforthemute.com Shopify-powered e-commerce platform and two company-owned Australian flagship stores — Sydney (350 George Street, opened 2020) and Melbourne (QV Melbourne, opened 2024) — with a partnership retail placement at HAUS NOWHERE inside MixC World in Shenzhen for China. Wholesale distribution reaches 40+ countries through tier-1 luxury stockists including SSENSE, Nordstrom, Harrods, Selfridges, Lane Crawford, SKP, Galeries Lafayette, Bloomingdale's, Boontheshop, Harrolds, and A Ma Maniére. Pricing is in Australian dollars, GST-inclusive, with free domestic shipping over AUD 400 and free international shipping over AUD 600.

Song for the Mute has built an extensive collaboration portfolio anchored by a multi-year partnership with adidas Originals (seven iterative releases since 2017), extended in 2025 to Birkenstock for footwear and apparel, and in 2026 to adidas Running for performance athletics (Supernova Rise 3 reinterpretation, Adi365 apparel system). Additional partnerships include a 2024 capsule with celebrity stylist Dev Alexander (Toward Kindred Light / TKL x SONG) and a HAUS NOWHERE retail partnership in Shenzhen. The company is founder-owned with no disclosed external institutional investment, no disclosed headcount, and no disclosed revenue figure. Marketing is driven primarily by Instagram, narrative-driven lookbooks and campaigns, and editorial PR coverage via Australian (Electric Collective) and European (Spread the Word) press contacts.

Name

Song for the Mute

Legal name

Song for the Mute Pty Ltd

Website

https://songforthemute.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Song for the Mute is a privately held Australian fashion label founded in 2010 by Melvin Tanaya and Lyna Ty, designing premium menswear, womenswear, and accessories as numbered seasonal chapters and selling through owned flagships in Sydney and Melbourne, a Shenzhen HAUS NOWHERE placement, and tier-1 global stockists across 40+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Contemporary Premium Apparel

SIC

Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600)

akta.pro primary industry

Premium & Contemporary Apparel Brands (CRAAAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Streetwear & Contemporary Apparel Retail (CRAAABAM)

Keywords

• Contemporary fashion brand
• Premium apparel collections
• Designer menswear womenswear
• Seasonal chapter fashion
• Fashion footwear collaborations

Headquarters

HQ city

Sydney

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Direct Fashion Retail: One-time product sales of apparel, footwear, and accessories through owned e-commerce and flagship stores. Products include outerwear, shirting, tops, pants, shorts, dresses, skirts, eyewear, headwear, bags, and socks across menswear and womenswear categories.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Song for the Mute designs, produces, and sells premium menswear, womenswear, and accessories organised as seasonal narrative "chapters" (from 10.1 in 2010 through 26.2 in 2026). The brand also sells co-branded collaboration collections with adidas Originals, adidas Running, Birkenstock, and stylist Dev Alexander (TKL), distributing through owned e-commerce, owned flagship stores in Sydney and Melbourne, and a global wholesale network across 40+ countries.

Product overview

Song for the Mute is an Australian fashion label operating as a single unified brand rather than a platform architecture. The core offering consists of seasonal menswear and womenswear collections presented as narrative chapters, complemented by an accessories line (eyewear, headwear, bags, socks). The brand has developed an extensive collaboration portfolio including ongoing partnerships with adidas Originals (multiple seasonal releases) and adidas Running (performance athletics), Birkenstock (footwear and apparel), and TKL/Dev Alexander (capsule collection). Distribution operates through owned flagship stores in Sydney and Melbourne, a global wholesale stockist network spanning premium retailers like SSENSE, Nordstrom, Harrolds, and Lane Crawford, and a direct-to-consumer e-commerce platform powered by Shopify.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Menswear Collection Seasonal menswear line presented as narrative chapters, including outerwear, shirting, tops and jersey, pants, and shorts. Targeted at fashion-forward individual consumers.
• Womenswear Collection Seasonal womenswear line presented as narrative chapters, including outerwear, shirting, tops and jersey, dresses, pants, shorts, and skirts. Targeted at fashion-forward individual consumers.
• Accessories Accessory line including eyewear, headwear, bags, and socks, sold alongside apparel collections.
• SFTM x adidas Originals Collection Ongoing collaboration with adidas Originals reimagining adidas heritage silhouettes with SFTM's design language across footwear, apparel, and accessories. Multiple seasonal releases (SFTM-001 through SFTM-007).
• Birkenstock x Song for the Mute Footwear and apparel collaboration with Birkenstock featuring reimagined Birkenstock silhouettes with SFTM's design language.
• SFTM x adidas Running 01 (RUN01) First collaboration with adidas Running, introducing SFTM into performance athletics. Includes footwear (Supernova Rise 3 reinterpretation) and Adi365 apparel system.
• TKL x SONG Capsule Collection Capsule collection with celebrity stylist Dev Alexander (Toward Kindred Light) featuring three core garments: Hooded Denim Jacket, Denim Wide Leg Pant, and Oversized Tee in Black, White, and Khaki.

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• adidas RunningcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Spring/Summer 2026 marks first collaboration with adidas Running, introducing SFTM reinterpretation of Supernova Rise 3. Collection includes footwear and Adi365 apparel system (tanks, tees, shorts) with hand-drawn detailing. Campaign shot by Ethan and Tom documentary-style.
• adidas OriginalsflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Long-running collaboration partnership with 7 releases (001-007) of footwear and apparel. SFTM-003 featured Country OG silhouette reimagined in 90s colorways with creative direction from Lyna Ty. Includes apparel range with sherpa fleece jackets, distressed jerseys, oversized blazers, and custom jacquard knitwear.
• Toward Kindred Light (TKL) / Dev AlexanderminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Capsule collection with celebrity stylist Dev Alexander inspired by 2024 The First Time Tour. Three core garments: Hooded Denim Jacket, Denim Wide Leg Pant, and Oversized Tee in Black, White, and Khaki. Available globally at SFTM flagships, BOONTHESHOP, HARROLDS, SSENSE, WDLT117.
• BirkenstockcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFootwear and apparel collaboration featuring Birkenstock x Song for the Mute collection with dedicated product pages for footwear and apparel categories.
• HAUS NOWHEREminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRetail presence partnership at HAUS NOWHERE Shenzhen location, L2 Floor, MixC World. Chinese market access through this premium multi-brand retail concept.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Fear of God: US-based luxury contemporary label with deep wholesale penetration at SSENSE, Nordstrom and luxury department stores globally. Comparable to SFTM as a broader-portfolio incumbent operating in the same premium contemporary tier with strong stockist relationships.
• RICK OWENS: Long-established contemporary luxury fashion house with strong narrative and subcultural identity, distributed through the same tier of premium global retailers as SFTM. Comparable as a larger, broader-portfolio incumbent that operates in the same contemporary-with-narrative category.

Direct peers

• Our Legacy: Swedish contemporary fashion brand with a strong narrative and editorial point of view, distributed globally through SSENSE, Selfridges and specialty boutiques. Closely comparable to SFTM in sub-luxury price tier, menswear-led assortment and storytelling-led seasonal cadence.
• Auralee: Tokyo-based premium contemporary label distributed through I.T, Selfridges, SSENSE and select department stores globally. Comparable to SFTM in fabric-forward design language, sub-luxury price tier and selective global wholesale footprint across Asia and Europe.
• Sacai: Japanese luxury contemporary label renowned for hybrid design and high-profile collaborations (Nike, Undercover, APL). Directly comparable to SFTM in collab-heavy creative model, premium wholesale positioning at Nordstrom/SSENSE/Selfridges, and narrative-driven seasonal storytelling.
• Kiko Kostadinov: Bulgarian-born, London-based designer label with strong menswear identity, experimental fabrication and premium department store distribution (Dover Street Market, SSENSE, Selfridges). Comparable to SFTM in narrative-led contemporary menswear positioning, premium stockist network and fabric-experimentation differentiator.
• Story mfg. UK-based contemporary label built on narrative themes, artisanal fabrics and sustainability-led positioning, distributed globally through SSENSE, Nordstrom and specialty boutiques. Comparable to SFTM in story-led collection structure, premium-multi-brand wholesale reach and fabric-experimentation focus.
• A-COLD-WALL*: London-based contemporary label by Samuel Ross built on conceptual, story-driven collections and stocked by premium retailers including SSENSE, Selfridges and Nordstrom. Comparable to SFTM in premium contemporary positioning, narrative-led collections and global luxury-multi-brand wholesale distribution.

Regional players

• Mr Completely: Australian contemporary menswear and womenswear label distributed through premium Australian and Asian stockists. Comparable to SFTM as a home-market contemporary peer overlapping in menswear, womenswear and gender-fluid design positioning within the Australian fashion ecosystem.
• Double Rainbouu: Australian contemporary fashion label with bold prints and narrative-driven seasonal collections, primarily distributed in Australia and select Asian markets. Comparable to SFTM as a home-market regional peer sharing the Australian contemporary fashion ecosystem and seasonal chapter-style drops.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/songforthemute
• Xx.com/SongfortheMute
• Facebookfacebook.com/songforthemute
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/song-for-the-mute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Song for the Mute