Song For the Mute might sound ironic but the name digs deep with the duo behind the label, Lyna Ty and Melvin Tanaya. Being Asian, their families had expectations of them to follow the typical doctor-lawyer route.
Lyna Ty and Melvin Tanaya of Song For The Mute
When Ty and Tanaya broke away to pursue their passion for fashion, they received little support from their families. Having encountered many peers in the same position – some who unfortunately were stopped from following their dreams and hence had their “voices silenced” – the pair decided to name their label as such with the hope that it would be an expressive platform for everyone.
Ty and Tanaya were in Singapore on July 9, 2013, to present their Spring Summer 2014 menswear collection as part of the celebrations for multi-label store Inhabit’s 10 anniversary; the brand is exclusively available at Inhabit. The intimate session saw the two of them walk through every single detail of their looks thoroughly – in the same way we imagine they are in every step of their design process.
Looks from the Spring Summer 2014 collection - Ciel
Named “Ciel” – the French word for sky – the collection reflected every feature of the sky above us. The looks played with various textures and tones from dark blue to grey – resembling the ever-changing sky – and the colour blocking effects reminded us of layers of clouds, stacked on top of each other.
The duo is very particular about the fabrics they use and have created new materials that are made from scratch in either Japan or Italy. The new season sees a paraffin coated cotton that is light to touch but keeps the structure of the piece; and also the inclusion of neoprene, a material that is proving to be popular amongst designers.
Song For The Mute’s strongsuit has always been their pants and the Ciel collection is no exception. In fact, Tanaya mentioned that they always think about the pants first before designing the rest of the look. Clever design techniques give rise to layered pants – a one piece that appears to be shorts over pants – and sportswear inspires sweatshirts with a slight cocoon curve and blazers that are tailored and easy to move in. Each piece shows off Ty’s precise tailoring and her training at the renowned Accamedia Italiana Di Moda.
With the Ciel collection, Song For The Mute releases their third collaboration with renowned shoemaker Andrew McDonald. The highlight of the collaboration is the leather sneaker that feels like a comfortable sneaker but has the formal aesthetic of a dress shoe – singer Seal is a big fan.
Although Song For The Mute produces menswear, the androgynous feel of past and present collections have won them more than a few female fans – it is easy to pass off one of the short-sleeved tops as a tunic.
All this female attention has led to the designers to start work on a womenswear line that they promise will not be a direct translation of their menswear but will still retain the brand’s DNA. While there’s no confirmed date of when Song For The Mute will finally debut their womenswear, we are waiting with bated breath.
Song For The Mute’s menswear collection is available at Inhabit – The Other Store at #02-16 Mandarin Gallery.
For more information on Song For The Mute, go to songforthemute.com. Follow the brand on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Songforthemute and on Instagram @songforthemute instagram.com/songforthemute