The Palestinian designer blending queer performance art and streetwear
“I was working on a series on my Instagram where I’d bootleg big name brands like Supreme and switch the writings to Arabic to fight against the stereotype of the Arabic language being associated with terrorism,” Shukri tells HUNGER. “People really got into buying the shirts and that made me start tRASHY CLOTHING. I think with fashion I’m designing an image and a lifestyle. I’m mixing the Middle East with Western trends and basically representing my friends and interests and beliefs.
“Censorship is a big challenge for me as a creative,” he stresses. “I usually have to think twice before sharing my work because of its outcomes. I hate being censored and I try to fight that as much as I can. Misrepresentation is another big issue for me. I’m trying to showcase a side of Palestinians and Arabs the world doesn’t really know about. There’s many different stereotypes put upon Arabs like being closed-minded, or ‘’terrorists’’ that I try to fight with my work. By collaborating with as many Middle Eastern artists possible, I want to hopefully create a platform where Middle Eastern artists can prosper with their stories and work. I think the best way to fight these challenges is awareness and recognition.”
Last month tRASHING CLOTHING debuted their ready-to-wear collection at Berlin Fashion Week. Entitled Desert Eagle, it’s “a tribute to Arab artists who have used the internet to soar over borders sharing their art and stories.”
“The biggest theme for Desert Eagle is the internet,” Shukri says. “The internet has been a tool for me and many Middle Eastern artists to share our stories with countries we can’t even travel to without a visa. The internet has broken many borders for us. I even dedicated my Instagram username to the internet (@wifirider). Recently there’s been a massive creative wave happening in the Middle East; Arab artists are pushing hard with their work. We just had our first Boiler Room in Palestine (which was crazy, I was partying so hard in my room and tearing up because I wasn’t in Palestine when it happened!).
For further information on the brand head to trashyclothing.shop. Check out the Desert Eagle Collection at Berlin Fashion Week in our gallery below…
