-Style Birmingham Best Independent Retailer Award Winner 2009,
-The Mary Portas Best Independent Retailer Award Winner 2010,
-Style Birmingham Best Independent Retailer Independent Finalist 2011,
-Drapers Fashion Awards Best Independent Central England 2011,
-Birmingham Made Me Design Awards Best Emerging Brand Finalist 2012.
-Commonwealth Games official designer 2022
With academic roots in Politics, Sociology & Development, we started our vertically integrated experimental fashion business in 1998.
'Disorder,' is a fashion forward menswear & womenswear brand. We proudly manufacture most of our range locally, with own in-house team, as well as working on some of the lines in the store, whether that is painting, graphic designing or sewing.
We have created our own nano sustainable eco-system by using British wools & tweeds where possible, we home grow most of our label, thus, it is mainly, 'made in Britain.'
We also thrive on sourcing treasured handwoven one-off fabrics from like minded artisan businesses discovered on our own exotic cultural travels, as well as printing our original artwork on environmentally friendly materials such as bamboo. We use cashmere, & silks for our luxury pieces. T-shirts & hoodies are made from organic cottons and are all ethically manufactured from certified factories abroad and we use non toxic printing processes at our printers in Birmingham.
As self taught designers, our designs are different, unconventional, and special with a distinct, 'Disorder,' edge. This appeals to those who crave for individuality, and quality, without having to pay a premium to express themselves.
We offer one of a kind handcrafted dresses, unique handmade shirts, as well as non-conformist tailored bespoke suits, waistcoats, jackets and coats. What makes Disorder niche, is that everything in the store has been made exclusively for the store.
We also stock from fellow up & coming cottage industry makers, in keeping with our anti-mass production, and anti-fast fashion credentials.
We do not follow the seasons religiously by producing spring/summer, autumn/winter collections like the high street and the venture capitalists backed global brands do. We believe this to be a form of insanity; inflicting mass environmental damage by mass producing, to encourage mass consumption, to then annihilate competitors by mass cost cutting every few weeks. All this energy for it to only end up in landfill sites, polluting rivers, or even worst still, when second hand clothes are dumped on to developing countries disrupting their own traditional indigenous textiles, destroying their local economy, contrary to what western NGOs and charities will have you believe. We have highlighted the evils of fast fashion on steroids for years, and now, have science on our side: that this corporatised world of fuelling fashion is bad for the planet. Our cities and our world is becoming intrinsically cloned using this system of expansion.
Instead, we naturally react to the weather at present, and make according to demand within the store. We come up with new ideas as & when we feel creative and only produce for the store if it is deemed as worth sharing. We stock pieces in our shop based on what our customers love over the years, as opposed to jumping on the futile fashion hamster wheel. This means that our company's slow fashion methods is close to producing zero waste.
We believe in the power of being independent, we adhere to executing our core business sustainable ideals whilst surrounded by the antithesis of giant highstreet chains. In 2008 we gave a paper we wrote to Mary Portas, (TV personality & UK's top brand consultant). This was to raise awareness about the underrated value of small entrepreneurial businesses to the local economy, its' relationship with the community, its' contribution to society, versus, the true hidden socio-economic and environmental collateral caused by the highstreet, and their tax avoidance schemes by registering on off shore accounts to the detriment of our country. We predicted the impact of social ills 10 years ago, now playing out everywhere on every level around us. Mary Portas endorsed our business as, "the cleverest retailer she has seen in years." In 2011 Mary Portas went on to consult David Cameron with, 'The Independent Review on The Future of The Highstreet.'
Disorder Ltd has evolved organically into a wholesome fashion brand, self generating itself. 20 years on, our customers, some of whom are scattered all over the world, love our micro fashion empire with a conscience, ironically up a street called 'needless,' alley.
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Mark Howard
BSc Sociology
Designer/Graphic Designer/ Artist /Managing Director
Disorder Ltd
Thiri Myat-Howard
MA Development Studies, BSc Politics & Sociology
Designer/Director
Disorder Ltd