OLDORDER

OLDORDER launched in 2019 with a narrow thesis: China’s streetwear scene had plenty of graphic tees and hoodies, but no homegrown sneaker brand building original silhouettes from scratch. The founders set out to change that by designing shoes rooted in skate culture, manufactured to a standard that could hold up against established players. The brand’s name signals its allegiance: old-school craft applied to new forms.

The bet paid off in 2021 when the SKATER/001, OLDORDER’s first fully original sneaker, broke sales records across Chinese fashion sneaker platforms. The shoe’s formula was specific: full-grain leather upper, oversized embossed logo on the side panel, vulcanized rubber sole with a non-slip tread pattern. It hit a sweet spot for a generation that wanted something between a Nike Dunk and a vintage German Army Trainer. Celebrity adoption followed, but the shoe had already proven itself on sales charts before the press caught up.

OLDORDER builds its catalog around three pillars. The SKATER line carries the brand’s heritage: clean, low-profile silhouettes inspired by 1980s and 1990s skate shoes, constructed from premium leather and suede with 3D logo detailing. The Turbo GT borrows from 2000s running shoe aesthetics with hand-sewn microfiber leather, BK mesh lining, Ortholite footbeds, and a distinctive chunky “O”-shaped sole unit that looks retro-futurist without being bulky. The Turbo Lite strips that formula down: lighter, lower, available in over a dozen colorways from Copper Brown to Silver Metallic to Scarlet Red.

Beyond footwear, OLDORDER produces canvas shoes under its Big Head sub-line and collaborative OCAI label, plus a small range of accessories. But sneakers remain the core. Every other category exists in orbit around the shoes.

Collaborations have extended OLDORDER’s reach. The Li-Ning partnership brought credibility from China’s biggest sportswear house. Sanrio licensing (Hello Kitty and Kuromi characters on chunky sole platforms) produced the viral “Kitty shoes” that circulated across Y2K fashion accounts and TikTok haul videos, introducing the brand to audiences who had never heard of Guangzhou streetwear. Joint releases with STA, Ground Zero, Ann Andelman, AFGK, and Supbro kept the brand visible across different pockets of the Chinese independent fashion ecosystem.

In 2022, OLDORDER opened its first physical retail space in Dongshankou, Guangzhou, the creative district that also houses studios and showrooms for labels like Attempt and Roaringwild. Over a thousand people attended the opening. For a brand that started as a DTC sneaker operation, the store represented a shift toward community infrastructure: a place to try shoes on, attend events, and encounter the product outside of a feed.

OLDORDER runs oversized by design. Their signature silhouette is relaxed through the body with dropped shoulders and extended hemlines. If you typically wear L, an M in OLDORDER will give you the intended relaxed fit. Size down one if you prefer a more tailored look, though the brand's aesthetic is built around volume.

The brand's graphic tees and hoodies work as foundation pieces — pair them with tapered trousers or structured outerwear to balance the proportions. Layering is central to the OLDORDER look. A graphic long-sleeve under an open shirt, or a hoodie beneath a deconstructed coat, creates the kind of depth the brand's runway shows emphasize.

Materials span heavyweight cotton jersey (280-380 GSM), brushed fleece, nylon-blend outerwear, and washed denim. The heavier fabrics hold structure well and age naturally. Most pieces are machine washable inside-out on cold — the graphics are screen-printed with durable plastisol inks that hold up over repeated washes.

The graphic hoodie is OLDORDER's calling card. Each season's graphics draw from a specific thematic universe — mythology, subculture iconography, distorted typography — printed on heavyweight fleece with a deliberately oversized cut. These aren't basic blanks with prints; the graphic placement, colorway, and garment construction are designed as a unit.

Deconstructed outerwear is where the brand pushes furthest. Bombers with detachable panels, parkas with exposed seaming, trench coats with asymmetric closures. The pieces look like they've been taken apart and reassembled with intention.

Wide-leg cargo pants anchor the bottoms range. Multiple pocket configurations, adjustable hems, and a cut that sits naturally at the waist. They've become a staple piece that works across the brand's seasonal themes.

The layered long-sleeve tees feature contrast-stitched seams and raw-edge detailing. They're designed to be worn under other pieces, adding texture and visual interest to layered outfits without adding bulk.

OLDORDER positions at the upper end of streetwear pricing. Graphic tees range from $80 to $150. Hoodies and sweatshirts sit between $150 and $280. Outerwear reaches $300 to $600. Trousers and denim range from $120 to $250.

Comparable brands in ambition and price include Undercover (which runs 2-3x higher for similar graphic-driven pieces), Sacai (3-5x for deconstructed outerwear), and C.E/Cav Empt ($200-400 for graphic pieces). OLDORDER delivers a similar design sensibility at a more accessible price point, with heavyweight construction that matches or exceeds many competitors.

OLDORDER's design process starts with worldbuilding. Before a single garment is sketched, the design team constructs a thematic universe for the season — a mythology, a subculture, a typographic system — and every piece in the collection is built to inhabit that world. This isn't unique in fashion, but OLDORDER executes it with unusual commitment. The graphics, the fabric choices, the colorways, and the silhouettes all serve the same narrative.

The brand's relationship to Japanese streetwear is acknowledged but not imitative. Where Undercover deconstructs Western punk iconography and Cav Empt processes technology anxiety through graphic design, OLDORDER draws from Chinese mythology, internet culture, and urban experience. The references are different, and the visual language is distinct — even when the garment categories (graphic hoodies, deconstructed outerwear, layered tees) overlap with Japanese predecessors.

Construction is where the brand earns its pricing. The heavyweight cotton (280-380 GSM) is significantly heavier than standard streetwear blanks (typically 180-220 GSM). The garment-dyed finishes mean each piece is dyed after construction, creating subtle color variations at seams and edges that screen-printed graphics can't replicate. The oversized silhouettes are patterned rather than simply graded up, meaning the proportions — shoulder drop, sleeve length, hem curve — are designed for the larger dimensions rather than scaled from a standard size.

OLDORDER represents the more experimental end of Chinese streetwear — the brands that are pushing the category beyond graphic tees and sneakers into something closer to fashion art. When we first saw the deconstructed outerwear and the specificity of the graphic work, it was clear the brand had a point of view that transcended trends.

What convinced us to carry the label was the construction. It's easy to create visually interesting clothes; it's harder to make them well. OLDORDER's heavyweight fabrics, considered seaming, and garment-dyed finishes showed a brand that cared as much about how pieces feel and wear as how they photograph. The oversized silhouettes look loose, but they're patterned — not just scaled up from standard sizes.

We curate OLDORDER's collections with a focus on the pieces that translate best for an international audience. The graphic hoodies and layering pieces are the consistent entry points. The deconstructed outerwear and cargo pants represent the brand at its most distinctive. For customers who've worn Japanese streetwear brands like Undercover or Cav Empt and want to explore the Chinese counterpart, OLDORDER is the recommendation.

Does OLDORDER run true to size?
OLDORDER is intentionally oversized. If you typically wear L, an M will give you the brand's intended relaxed fit. Size down one for a less dramatic silhouette, but understand that the brand's aesthetic is built around volume.

How should I care for OLDORDER graphics?
Machine wash inside-out on cold. The screen-printed graphics use durable plastisol inks designed for repeated washing. Hang dry when possible — the heavyweight fabrics take longer in the dryer and the heat can affect print longevity over time.

What makes OLDORDER different from other graphic streetwear brands?
The difference is in the intention. OLDORDER's graphics aren't decorative — they're thematic. Each season builds a specific visual universe (mythology, subculture, typography), and the graphic placements, fabric choices, and silhouettes are designed as a cohesive system. Combined with heavyweight construction (280-380 GSM) and garment-dyed finishes, the pieces feel more considered than typical graphic streetwear.

Is OLDORDER unisex?
The brand designs unisex collections. The oversized fits accommodate all body types, and the aesthetic isn't gender-specific. We carry the full size range (S through XXL) for most pieces.

Anton Khomich is the editorial lead at MING STREET. Based in New York, he covers the designers, studios, and cultural movements shaping Chinese contemporary fashion. Before joining MING STREET, he worked across fashion editorial and brand strategy, with a focus on emerging markets and independent labels. He has tracked the Chinese streetwear and contemporary design scene since 2019.