Kirsta
Kirsta grew up hiding in the racks of second-hand shops while her mom hunted for a deal.
As a grown-up human, she moved from America to Australia and noticed there wasn’t a higher-end ‘consignment’ culture, so she started Mutual Muse in her dining room, with a couple of key pieces.
Fast forward a few years, a few-dozen market stalls, and a family, to three shops and an online store filled with fabulous team members.
Mutual Muse is thriving in a culture where waste and limited resources are on our minds.
We named it Mutual Muse because we let the cycle of clothes and every person’s personal style — and the opportunity to be whoever you want — be our inspiration.
About Mutual Muse
Mutual Muse specialise in contemporary fashion— the brands and quality you already love and wear — but we also love anything a little unusual, well-made basics, and a bit of vintage.
We’re not an op shop
Rather than digging through op shop racks that usually contain…well… a lot of crap, we are picky about what we take, because we know what you want, and we know what you buy.
We’re not a traditional ‘vintage’ shop
Though you’ll sometimes find a quirky vintage piece on the racks, that’s not what we’re about. We want to give you the brands you already know, love and wear (and help you find new ones).
OUR VALUES
OUR VALUES
OUR VALUES
OUR VALUES
OUR VALUES
OUR VALUES
OUR VALUES
Sustainability & quality
Did you know the average Australian buys 27 kg of new clothing a year*? Mutual Muse allows you to shop for clothing, sustainably.
The pieces you buy already exist in the world and you’re giving them another life, which means you’re contributing to a more circular economy.
This is also why we prioritise well-made garments and natural fabrics as their lifecycle is significantly longer. When they DO come to the end of their life, they are more easily recycled or break down more easily.
Personal style over design trends
Sometimes you have clothes that you love, but for whatever reason, you’ve never worn them, or they don’t fit properly, or they’re not your style anymore.
Mutual Muse is a place you can explore your style, as well as shop the contemporary brands and styles you ALREADY love, with less guilt and without the hefty price tag.
Inclusion and community
Both our Northcote and Brunswick stores sell clothing for everyone (except kids). Check out our Sell Your Clothes page for what we look for when purchasing clothing. Our clothes are set out in the store by the sizing on their tags. As we know, there is no standard ‘sizing’ in Australia, so we simply do this as a place for you to start. Our clothing is sourced by you (and for you) and what we have in each of our stores is entirely dependent on that. We believe that’s what makes Mutual Muse an exciting place to shop.
Press
‘How I Got Here: The Founder of Mutual Muse on accommodating neurodiversity at work’
‘Closing the Gap in Sustainable Fashion: An Interview with Kirsta Hawkins, Founder of Mutual Muse’ [Podcast]
‘Fashion, Circular Economy, Autism and Business: A Chat with Kirsta Hawkins (Mutual Muse)’ [Podcast]