Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building 2nd Floor, Men's Creators will be featuring the Australian apparel brand Song for the Mute, showcasing their Spring/Summer 2021 collection. The brand is run by Melvin Tanaya and Lyna Ty, a male-female duo who have known each other for a long time. Since its establishment in 2010, the brand has focused on designs, patterns, and cutting that make the most of the materials, and its storytelling collections have gained a reputation, gradually becoming popular among industry insiders. We spoke with them extensively about everything from the inspiration behind starting the brand to their approach to clothing production and their future prospects.

I. Artistic clothing created through exquisite combinations.

—How did the two of you meet, and what was theきっかけ (trigger/reason) for starting the brand?

Melvin: We've known each other since we were 10 years old and classmates. We studied together and grew up like brothers. As we got older, we naturally became interested in graphic design and fashion, and started making graphic T-shirts together. That took about a year. In a way, it was an extension of our hobby, and we ended up with a collection.

Lyna: Initially, we didn't intend to start this as a business. What we strongly felt was that we wanted to share the things that had been imprinted on our hearts as stories with everyone, and that was the starting point.

—What is the storyline like each season?

Melvin: Each season is an expression of fashion and art based on Lina's experiences, and each chapter is a reflection of what she has felt in her life. Song for the Mute grows with her, so every collection has a unique finish. The collections we create are a glimpse into how she sees the world, shaped through her aesthetic sense, and I think they are an expansion of her inner evolution.

—The Spring/Summer 2019 and Spring/Summer 2020 collections are based on past experiences, including the environment and upbringing.


Melvin: Our themes for 2019 were "Still Life" and "Hunter." Both themes stemmed from a deep inner stillness, from searching within to find oneself. Australia is a large country, but its population is not as large as that of Japan or Europe. As a result, it is still blessed with beautiful nature, and enjoying it is part of the lifestyle. We wanted to take advantage of this blessed environment and express a unique "stillness" amidst nature. We brought the Australian "outback" into the city, and chose this theme with the intention of not forgetting the vast and beautiful landscapes in which we live and which surround us.

The collections for 2020 are "Le Bled" and "Djebel." They are themed around finding one's roots and how where you come from shapes who you are. They are an homage to home and express the cultural history that defines us, and both "Le Bled" and "Djebel" were born from a trip to Tunisia, the homeland of Lina's partner, Karim. Lina was drawn to the warm hospitality and family bonds of the people she met there. The beauty of history that she felt at that time is expressed in the collections.

Melvin: Our collections are our journey. Each season has a story built on personal experiences, so we feel a deep attachment to it. What I find interesting is that we have completely opposite personalities. Lina likes old things tied to history, while I like technology and the latest techniques. Also, Lina is good at choosing things by instinct, while I prefer to steadily go through things step by step. I think we have a good balance when it comes to running the brand. This year marks our 10th anniversary since we officially launched the brand in 2011. Winning the Australian Designer of the Year award in the year we debuted gave us a lot of confidence. We are a small team of about 10 to 12 people, but we are very happy that various people, such as buyers and suppliers from all over the world, are involved in making our clothes.

—The brand's iconic logo may appear irregular at first glance, but it has a deeper meaning.


Melvin: It's been two years since we revamped our brand logo from the hand-drawn one we'd been using for years. This new logo is inspired by a family tree. We originally started the brand with just the two of us, but as our children (our collections) have grown, many different people have become involved in making our clothes. While the brand itself is the trunk of the tree, as we create more collections, the new logo embodies the warm image of everyone gathering together under the lush leaves and branches of the tree, feeling like we're all together.

—And they are so particular about fabric selection that they even travel to other countries, primarily Japan and Italy, to find fabrics.

Lyna: We've been using the same fabrics from the same manufacturers for the past 10 years. We source them from established fabric manufacturers in Italy, Japan, and other countries. We also go on fabric-hunting trips about twice a year. Right now, we're being a bit more restrained due to the pandemic, but the opportunity to interact with fabric specialists from various countries is essential for our collections.


Melvin: I want to encounter various fabrics from different countries. And meeting the artisans who make the fabrics directly and confirming their love for those fabrics stimulates our creativity. That's why, when designing clothes, I'm especially careful not to ruin the best fabrics we come across with our designs, but rather to make the most of the fabric's characteristics. The collection approach differs from season to season, but how we incorporate the fabrics is part of each story. For example, in some seasons, even before the design is finalized, we look at the fabric and think about how to give it form, so fabric development is an essential part of our collections.

—When creating the collection, there are rarely any clashes of opinion between the two of you. Since you've known each other for a long time, you build the collection by communicating closely with each other.

Lyna: We don't really clash over opinions. It's a big advantage that I've known him since he was a child and know everything about him, including his inner self. Even if we have differing opinions, we communicate well and find a middle ground or a compromise that satisfies both of us, so I think we have a really good relationship.

Melvin: We each have different roles, and our relationship is built on mutual trust. For example, there are times when I say things that Lina wouldn't say, so we complement each other, and we are both business partners and best friends. I always feel lucky to have that relationship. Basically, Lina is the creative director of the brand, so I assist her in conveying the story she wants to tell to the world.


—What are your impressions of Japanese fashion? And how are you coping with the changes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic?

Melvin: Every time I go to Japan, I get great inspiration from Japanese fashion. I sometimes stop and look at the fashion of people walking by, and each time I think they are expressing themselves in a truly creative way. It gives the impression that they are enjoying their fashion in a unique way, mixing and matching. And, due to the impact of the pandemic, we discussed various possibilities, including whether it would be possible to create a new collection and whether it would be a viable business, as we have invested in fabrics made in Japan, Italy, and other places. There is no Paris Fashion Week this season either.

This time, the three of us (Tanaya, Tai, and Karim) holed up in the atelier for the first time in a while to have a thorough discussion about what we should do next. We considered ideas such as reconstructing our best-selling pieces from previous collections, but that wasn't something we truly wanted to do. With the whole world in the midst of the pandemic, we also felt negative at times, but we thought that if we stopped challenging ourselves as a brand, it would convey a weak stance to the world, and more importantly, it wouldn't be what our fans, who are eagerly awaiting a new collection, are looking for. So, we came to the conclusion that we should take on a big challenge and create clothes properly from scratch, and we are proud to say that this collection is more positive than ever before.

II. I'm happy that we can launch our products at Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building

—The Spring/Summer 2021 collection has launched, focusing on the creativity of Karim, who is close to the designer both professionally and personally.

Lyna: The Spring/Summer 2021 collection is themed "NAÏVE" (meaning innocence and simplicity), expressing childlike innocence and free-spirited ideas. I was inspired by Karim, who I've been close to both personally and professionally for about 10 years. Karim is in charge of wholesale management, but he's very good at drawing and keeps his drawings in a sketchbook, so I created this collection by incorporating his ideas. Karim's drawings give off a naive, childlike, and humble impression. While the whole world is in a serious mood due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I also wanted to lighten that heavy atmosphere through this collection. For the colors, I used pastel colors and tie-dye, creating a collection with a free-spirited idea that makes you feel like you've returned to your childhood. If you ask me whether the fabric or the concept came first, this season I would say that I chose the fabrics based on the concept.

Melvin: I particularly like the Spring/Summer 2021 collection because it fits the Song for the Mute concept. Karim is our wholesale manager and also helps with the brand's finances; he's incredibly versatile and creative. However, he had never worked in a creative field before, or anything close to it. That's why the opportunity and platform he provided to express his creativity makes this season's collection all the more special. We hope that this opportunity will inspire people to believe in their own talents.




For this promotional space at Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building , we prepared life-sized puppets. In today's society, it seems like there are rules governing what constitutes good or bad creative expression. But we want to ignore, or even transcend, those rules, and use the puppets to convey our brand's worldview that it's okay for every person in the world to express themselves creatively, to express anything freely, just like when we were children.

I'm delighted to be able to showcase our Spring/Summer 2021 collection in Japan. Whenever I visit Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building , I always go around every floor, but the second floor is my favorite, so I feel very honored and happy to be able to present our collection there. I hope that this summer's exhibition will be a starting point for creating a new small community, which I can then expand into something bigger.

Related Article ▶A special styling feature , created by Tanaya and Tai specifically for Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building is also available.

Photo: Song for the Mute