SHUKRI LAWRENCE: tRASHY CLOTHING is a Palestinian brand and collective that breaks stereotypes put upon the Middle East and provokes bigotry through fashion. Founded by Shukri Lawrence in 2017, the tRASHY goal is to reclaim the Arab and Palestinian Identity and reclaim what is considered different, cheap, and trashy in modern culture. 

The name tRASHY is inspired by store names like ‘Nice Lady’ or ‘Elegant Fashion’ that are spread around different cities in the Arab region. Why are western ideals of fashion and culture so fantasized? 

tRASHY is building a new movement of culture straight from Palestine/the Middle East (and it is super kitsch.) Team tRASHY consists of Shukri Lawrence, Omar Braika, and Reem Kawasmi as the design collective, and with Luai Al-Shuaibi in logistics/advisory, Sereen Khass in production.

“In order to start change, people need to feel uncomfortable”

Today, the brand has gone noticed beyond the borders of Palestine, and Nadya Riot, famous for being the lead of Pussy Riot (the Russian punk-art protest collective) has been shot sporting it, a collaboration that aligns with what both parties stand for: the fight for their beliefs. JDEED interviewed Shukri Lawrence to know more about the brand, dressing international acts and his hopes for the future.

How did the collaboration with Pussy Riot come to life? What does it mean for you to pair up with them/ see them wear your creations?

What connected us is the way we view the world and the way we create! When we work with other artists, the message they represent is really what makes the collaboration great for us. Pussy Riot’s activism and fight for what they believe in resonates with us.

Having them shoot in our clothes was a dream that fulfills the brand’s vision of putting Palestinian culture into mainstream pop culture.

What are the biggest struggles when trying to express your creativity and sometimes be controversial in a region that isn’t really known to be open-minded?

We’ve created a safe space that allows limitless self expression between us and the people we work with. We’re lucky to have an audience that gets our message and is as excited as we are about it. Of course our work can be considered controversial to some, but in order to start change, people need to feel uncomfortable!

Where would you want to take Trashy and what would be a significant moment for you?

A significant moment would be a show in Palestine. With every collection, we are showcasing in different countries spreading the tRASHY message worldwide. Once we hit all the spots on our list, we will showcase a show in Palestine; where it all started.

The Palestine show will happen in the far future, and we will invite everyone that has supported the brand to celebrate the completion of the tRASHY mission together <3

Anyone you’d dream to see in your clothes?

We would love to dress anyone that believes in our message really, that means the most to us. We’ve dressed artists that we appreciate and inspire us, and we believe that if a collaboration is meant to happen, it will eventually happen!

What is  your favorite design you ever came up with within the brand?

It’s hard to choose a favorite since we always experiment with new ideas with each collection, but we got some favorites from our soon to be released collections that we can’t wait to share!

Complete this sentence: After quarantine and the corona wave I will….

Showcase our AW20 (or soon to be SS21) show in Iceland that we postponed due to corona!

Discover more about tRASHY on their Instagram

Photography credit / Santiago Pagnotta