What it means to make clothes in Palestine: interview with Trashy Clothing Y2K satire by Shukri Lawrence and Omar Braika in collaboration with Barragàn

Running an independent brand is already a challenge, but for Shukri Lawrence and Omar Braika, it’s an even bolder endeavor. Founded in Palestine and still based in Jordan, Trashy Clothing is an anti-luxury luxury brand, «a Trojan horse that creates new standards in the system from within», as the two creative directors define it. With the right mix of edginess and satire, irony and nostalgia, the brand has established itself over the years with a distinctly 2000s aesthetic, a homage from the designers to the Arab queer community of which they themselves are part. Through fashion, Lawrence and Braika advocate for intersectional activism that, beyond supporting the Palestinian cause, defends the rights of LGBTQIA+ people in the Middle East. Trashy Clothing's latest collaboration with the Mexican brand Barragàn is a direct testimony of their personal vision of war: with the title Arsenal of Democracy, the capsule collection addresses the theme of imperialism through precise stylistic codes in an extremely direct cultural mix. The collaboration with Barragàn began with a tweet, the two designers recount, in which a user highlighted how similar the two brands were to each other. «As soon as we saw it, we thought it was time,» they add - «we have in common the language of humor and satire, and it just kept going throughout the whole collaboration.»

For Lawrence and Braika, working as designers and brand owners during the war in Gaza is presenting enormous obstacles. «We’re fighting two battles,» the creative directors share - «the battle for our homeland and the battle for our queerness» They add that through satire they manage to protect the brand and its community, built primarily by queer Arabs who, like them, now feel more in danger than ever. Despite their work being well received within Trashy Clothing’s fanbase, Braika notes, being part of an industry tied to glamour and image while their people face a tragic time feels surreal. «You keep asking yourself what you’re doing, what your goal is,» Braika says - «it doesn’t feel real. The same day we were in Paris for Fashion Week, as soon as we returned to Jordan we could see rockets in the sky.» While the world falls in love with the ironic designs of major luxury brands, for the comfort they offer during uncertain times, for Trashy Clothing, satire proves to be a powerful political weapon. It’s proof that, if done well, even fantastical escapism in fashion can conceal a real message.