Mutimer’s first store arrives in Collingwood and it’s here to stay

“We intend to be here for a really long time.”

On a busy stretch of Smith Street in Collingwood, a new chapter is about to unfold for Mutimer. What began in 2020 as a bedroom project during lockdown has steadily evolved over six years into a fully realised fashion label. Now, it’s stepping confidently into the physical world with its very first brick-and-mortar store.

Founder, Jasper Mutimer, greets me mid-fit-out, the hum of drills and last-minute adjustments buzzing behind us. We stand at the front of the store and watch as the gold foil lettering is peeled to reveal: ‘MUTIMER – 308 SMITH STREET’. 

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“Having my name, well, my dad’s name, Mutimer, attached to the brand, it feels really front-facing and personal,” he tells me. 

The store isn’t quite finished yet but the sense of purpose is obvious – longevity and permanence. “We want to make the jump from ‘Instagram brand’ to a fully-fledged, mainstay label,” Jasper says. From refurbishing the original blue tile on the facade, to the custom-built corner seat, lovingly coined the ‘partner seat’, one thing becomes clear: no corners were cut in the making of this store. 

Mutimer’s transition from online to offline marks a deliberate shift. As Jasper explains, selling digitally has always come with a sense of distance. “People can just buy something… you see the orders come through and it does feel a bit disconnected.”

Opening a store, he admits, is a bigger ask. Rather than scrolling and clicking, customers are carving time out of their day to visit, but that’s exactly why the experience has to deliver. In today’s convenience culture, brick-and-mortar retail is an evolving space. As Jasper puts it, the goal is simple: to create something worth showing up for.

“I was really inspired by these case study houses… in particular, the Eames house. We used a lot of timber and chrome, and we wanted to use real timber… we found you couldn’t really replicate that look and feel in alternatives,” he says. Stepping in, you immediately recognise the almost Bauhaus influence.

Jasper is a big believer in physical retail. “[It] isn’t dying, people just want better, independent stores offering up an experience they can’t get online,” he says. Significant investment has gone into the store’s design to create an environment people genuinely want to spend time in, even if they leave without making a purchase.

That philosophy underpins every detail. The space has been designed to feel less like a store and more like a friend’s apartment, inviting and full of character. Think shelves lined with books, records spinning, vintage cow hides and of course, an authentic Eames Shangri-la chair and ottoman. 

The store itself is an extension of Jasper’s identity. “All of my interests are on display, it’s a direct representation of me, which is what I wanted it to be, but at the same time it’s a bit daunting.”

Community is also central to the vision. Inspired by Japanese street retail, where stores often double as cultural meeting points, Jasper hopes to foster something similar here, a place where people can connect over shared interests in fashion, art and design. 

“If people want to come in and listen to some records, flick through one of our coffee table books, and leave without buying anything, that’s fine, then I have done something right,” he says.

There’s also a strong emphasis on locality. Books and records have been sourced from nearby favourites like Happy Valley, and relationships are already forming with neighbouring cafés and bars (Alimentari, Glou), reinforcing the store’s place within the Collingwood community.

Ultimately, the opening of Mutimer’s first store signals more than just growth; it’s a redefinition. A move towards becoming a lasting, tangible presence. As Jasper puts it, “We intend to be here for a really long time.”

This Saturday, March 28, Mutimer officially opens its doors at 308 Smith Street, Collingwood from 10am to 6pm. For more information on the new store, head here.