First Look: Song for the Mute Opens Its First Melbourne Store

“A lot of people, locally and also internationally, have always thought that we’re from Melbourne,” fashion designer Melvin Tanaya tells Broadsheet. “It’s been like that from the beginning, and we still get asked that question because they think Song for the Mute as an aesthetic fits Melbourne.”

So, it was only natural for the Sydney-based streetwear label to open its second permanent store in Melbourne, two years after its flagship on George Street in Sydney’s CBD.

Known for its heritage-punk, avant-garde style, Song for the Mute’s CBD location at QV might come as a surprise to some – but that’s the point. “We want to almost shock people. They wouldn’t expect us to open up [here] and I think that’s part of the charm of why we chose [this] place.” The store is located on the ground floor – also home to luxury retailers like Incu (Song for the Mute’s next-door neighbour), APC and Marais.

It’s also a strategic move given the shopping precinct’s high foot traffic. “In Sydney, we’re right bang in the centre and it’s really busy,” Tanaya says. “We clock 50 per cent new customers every week and we’re looking to do the same in Melbourne.”

The new site, replacing claw-machine arcade Million Life, comes after a pop-up on Russell Place last year that helped the team get to know its Melbourne customer base. Now, 15 years into the label, Tanaya says it felt like the right time to put roots down.

Unlike with their heritage-listed Sydney store, Tanaya and co-founder Lyna Ty had full creative control of their 91-square-metre QV space. They enlisted Collingwood-based interior design firm Foolscap Studio to bring their brief to life.

Facing the QV food court, the store had to balance impact with intimacy. Its raw-cement facade has a single window that teases a glimpse inside. Inside, the design riffs on the geometry of a record player. “You go inside the [record player]. It’s almost like this claustrophobic feeling and the customer becomes part of the machine,” Tanaya explains.

A custom tiered walnut display by Melbourne joiner Chair Boi wraps around the space, echoing the circular form of a turntable. It’s a clever play on the label’s name – here, clothes take the place of music. With its pared-back, artful design, it’s easy to forget there’s a busy food court just outside.

Black and steel clothing racks showcase Song’s fall/winter ’25 collection, Sunflower , including in-store exclusives. The brand’s much-hyped sixth collaboration with sneaker giant Adidas Originals is also available. The capsule collection, called SFTM x Adidas 006 , reimagines Adidas’s classic Taekwando and Adizero sneakers alongside a range of apparel.

It’s been a busy year for Tanaya and Ty, who also just opened their first permanent international location in Shenzhen, China, in Gentle Monster’s retail concept Haus Nowhere.

“We’re kind of keeping it on the down-low because we’re focusing on the Melbourne store and the launch of Adidas,” Tanaya says. His disposition is casual despite the significance of such a milestone. It’s the kind of quiet confidence you can feel throughout Song for the Mute.

Next up, before Christmas, the duo will release their first kids and homewares line, available exclusively in-store. And a fresh collab with Birkenstock’s high-end 1774 line is launching in February 2026 – the German footwear label’s first foray into ready-to-wear apparel.

Song for the Mute
Shop R01-057
QV Melbourne, Cnr Lonsdale Street and Swanston Street, Melbourne

Mon to Thu 10am–6pm
Fri 10am–8am
Sat 10am–6pm
Sun 10am–5pm