Palestine-based label Trashy Clothing has a penchant for blending politics and fashion together and making them see eye-to-eye. The rising label founded by Shukri Lawrence has a well-documented track record of churning out garments that resonate with more serious matters and grave topics, as seen through their “Pride for Pay” and “Free Palestine” lines unveiled earlier this year.
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Now, the brand is back with a new spring 2022 collection just in time for the next couple of weeks of sea, sun, and sweat. Much like its previous offerings, Trashy Clothing’s new capsule is cut from a similar cloth as it continues to navigate the world of colonization in textile form, highlighting how some cultural practices can function as appendages of occupation.
Heavily inspired Rebecca L. Stein’s works on the Palestinian struggle, each piece seeks to spotlight the abundance of daily difficulties suffered by the people of Palestine in addition to the ways in which the settler-state has made use of leisure and tourism to maintain the upper hand and penetrate occupied territories further.
“As Palestinians, our homes and lands that we’ve been ethnically cleansed from have been turned into tourist destination spots by the occupation. Tourism has functioned as a political alibi that actively censored scenes of military violence.” Omar Braika and Shukri Laurence, founders, told MILLE. “With this collection, we wanted to expand on how colonialism stripped the context of violence into travel & leisure by designing the collection with the same mindset. “ they continued.
The collection, in all of its aspects, reflects back to the above mentioned matter. “Souvenirs Of Conquest: Visit To Colonize!” introduces items such as the Inspection Pocket trousers, Settler Sun Tan top, and the Stolen Souvenirs Skirt that are not only fashionable but undeniably reminiscent of the appalling situation taking place in the embattled morsel of land.
From T-shirts and trousers to dresses and hats, each piece is not only expertly-conceived and designed but also sends a strong message to consumers, serving as a sartorial reminder to the extent which occupying forces are willing to go to assert their influence, affirm their control, and blind media by translating the landscape of war and its aftermath into everyday lexicon.
In juxtaposition to the heavy spirit of the collection, pieces are mainly light, colorful, and perfect for the scorching temperatures. Incredibly spirited and undeniably political, Trashy Clothing’s latest collection is one to celebrate and uphold as a prime example of non-traditional activism that is as, not to say more, efficient than usual ways of militancy.
