Do Viral Clothes Stack Up? Try Cult Label Mutimer in Sydney for Yourself

Fashion is inherently tangible – even with advances in online shopping, there’s no substitute for feeling the texture of a garment and seeing how it looks on you. Despite that, cult Melbourne label Mutimer has managed to build a business and a fanbase almost entirely online. The “refined streetwear” label, headed by 25-year-old Jasper Mutimer, has been around since 2019. With a combined social media following of 316,000, the brand’s digital footprint precedes it.

This weekend, Sydney locals will be able to physically browse through the online-only brand’s collection. It’s Mutimer’s first foray outside of Melbourne, where it’s previously held three pop-ups. The temporary shopfronts always attract long lines of eager fashion folk, vying for Mutimer’s cool wardrobe essentials.

What’s the appeal of the Gen Z brand? Mutimer says his ethos of “progressive nostalgia” resonates with his audience. “You could see the items in an op shop 20 years ago and they’d be cool. You could see them now, they’d be cool. Then hopefully in 10 to 20 years, they’ll still be cool,” he tells Broadsheet.

Over the label’s six years, a few items have pushed through the online noise. Its aged, heavy-wash leather jacket, lace shirt and chair T-shirt have all had viral moments. The pieces give a contemporary edge to familiar shapes and styles. They resonate with an audience looking for new Australian labels that are built using tested designs.

Having a designer with no prior fashion experience front the brand has also given it a down-to-earth sensibility – he’s just a 25-year-old guy talking to other “25-year-old dudes,” he says. “There’s probably a ground-up appeal rather than a big company or machine where there’s lots of opinions, lots of voices and different demographics deciding what a certain demographic should wear.”

This Sydney pop-up may mark a turning point for the brand. Mutimer says the company has spent more money, time and energy in fitting out the short-term space than it has for any previous pop-ups. “The brand’s matured to the point where we can do a Sydney pop-up,” he says.

Although he and his team have put on a handful of pop-ups before, Mutimer still gets “very nervous” before rocking up to one. “They’re more of a tangible thing and you’re asking for a lot more effort for people to come to a pop-up versus going on their phone,” he says. “It’s very surreal and it’s very weird.”

After all, a brick-and-mortar store is the ultimate test. There’s nothing to hide behind, no screen between the shopper and the garments. Meaning this weekend is your best chance to cut through the hype and check Mutimer out for yourself.

Mutimer
17 Oxford St, Paddington

Opening hours
Sat July 19 & Sun July 20 10am–5pm

mutimer.co
@mutimerco