Jump to content

Draft:Shukri Lawrence

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Shukri Lawrence
Born
East Jerusalem
Years active2014–present

Shukri Lawrence, also known as Wifi Rider, is a Palestinian fashion designer, creative director, and multimedia artist.[1] He founded the anti-luxury brand Trashy Clothing with Omar Braika[2] and Cyber Fashion Week.

Early life and education

[edit]

Lawrence was born in East Jerusalem. He is a descendent of the Lorenzos who ran the Semiramis Hotel. His family's surname changed from Lorenzo to Lawrence during the British Mandate.[3] As a teenager, Lawrence would use his Armenian mother's identity to avoid confrontations with IDF soldiers.[4] Lawrence studied film in Jordan. He initially considered studying in Europe, but decided he wanted to "[create] stuff for my people. I want to have more Arab artists."[5][6]

Career and artistry

[edit]

Growing up, Lawrence's early interest in the world of fashion was inspired by watching fashion television in the 2000s and manifested in putting together outfits for online avatars and video games in the early 2010s.[7] He came up with the alias and username Wifirider or Wifi Rider when he created an Instagram account for digital art and editorialised photography in 2014. Lawrence's art is known for its bold use of colour and references.[5]

Lawrence started his career directing a music video[8] for Austrian rapper Candy Ken.

[9]

During his time at university, he began designing prints on shirts.[10] In art and fashion, Lawrence found himself inspired by musicians such as M.I.A, Brooke Candy, and Die Antwoord.[5]

In 2017, Lawurence founded the anti-luxury fashion brand Trashy Clothing (also stylised tRASHY CLOTHING) with Omar Braika.[11] Shukri and Braika debuted their ready-to-wear collection at the 2018 Berlin Fashion Week.[12] The fashion show featured a literal wall on the side of the runway that partially blocked the view to symbolise borders and privilege.[13]

Lawrence implements "political satire and kitsch culture" into his work and aims to "shed light on the Palestinian cause".[14]

[15]

[16]

[17][18]

In 2020, Shukri and his label started Cyber Fashion Week, a digital fashion week combining the intersections of fashion, art, music, and performance.[19] The concept of a virtual fashion week came about after Trashy Clothing had to postpone their Fall collection show in Iceland due to the COVID-19 lockdown.[20] Cyber Fashion Week hosts 12 international designers showcasing collections on digital platforms with performances from musicians and virtual after-parties.[21]

The brand's 2021 summer campaign was titled Pride for Pay and depicted models getting restrained and arrested. It also contained odes to the Arab pop icons Haifa Wehbe, Sherihan, and Maria Nalbandian.[22] That same year, Lawrence was the subject of British director Roxy Rezvany's short documentary titled Wifi Rider.[23][24]

has contributed both writing and photography to My.Kali [25][26]

Personal life

[edit]

Lawrence is queer.[27][28]

[29]

[30]

[31]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Kawasmi, Reem (2018-01-24). ""to deny my people is to deny peace itself, period" – reem kawasmi". i-D. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
  2. ^ "Shukri Lawrence Fights Middle Eastern Stereotypes With Fashion". Highsnobiety. 2017-11-10. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
  3. ^ Shukri Lawrence (3 September 2023). "My family was originally named Lorenzo before the British Mandate. Rauf Lorenzo co-managed the Semiramis Hotel, which was targeted by Zionist terrorists in 1948". Retrieved 13 March 2024 – via Instagram.
  4. ^ Ahram, Yasmin (13 August 2021). "The Freedom of Movement". Ripost Magazine. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  5. ^ a b c Cuby, Michael (2017-07-26). "Get to Know Wifirider: The Palestinian Artist Embracing His Struggle". PAPER Magazine. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
  6. ^ Mansri, Adlan (30 May 2018). "Shukri, le queer palestinien qui se bat contre les clichés". Konbini (in French). Retrieved 25 July 2024.
  7. ^ Satenstein, Liana (28 January 2022). "Shukri Lawrence Is Influencing the World With Middle Eastern Pop Culture and Politics". Vogue. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
  8. ^ "CANDY KEN : Sans limites et sans tabous !". APAR.TV (in French). 2016-08-29. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
  9. ^ "Shukri, le queer palestinien qui se bat contre les clichés". Konbini News - Société et Politique : Make News Great Again (in French). 30 May 2018. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
  10. ^ Ramallah, מאת Time Out (2017-10-25). "The Coolest Shirts In The World Comes From East Jerusalem". טיים אאוט (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2020-06-19.
  11. ^ Whitehouse, Matthew (2018-01-24). "this 18-year-old queer palestinian artist is fighting stereotypes with sportswear". i-D. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
  12. ^ "The Palestinian designer blending queer performance art and streetwear". Hunger TV. 25 July 2018. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
  13. ^ Whitehouse, Matthew (2018-08-22). "this palestinian design collective is breaking down borders with the internet". i-D. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
  14. ^ "Shukri Lawrence, Seeds Award Recipient". Prince Clays Fund. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
  15. ^ "tRASHY CLOTHING is the Palestinian Streetwear Brand Fighting Racism". Mille World. 2018-02-19. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
  16. ^ grapevine.is (2020-01-10). "From Iceland — Taking Out The tRASH: HATARI x tRASHY Clothing Team Up". The Reykjavik Grapevine. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
  17. ^ "Trashy Clothing's New Collection Celebrates 2000s Emo Kids". Mille World. 2019-05-10. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
  18. ^ "Palestinian designs gone global | Nadya Riot in tRASHY CLOTHING – Jdeed". Retrieved 2020-06-19.
  19. ^ بوعكادة, عفاف (2020-06-08). "أسبوع موضة رقمي للحفاظ على البيئة في عالم ما بعد فيروس كورونا". Vice (in Arabic). Retrieved 2020-06-19.
  20. ^ Satenstein, Liana (16 June 2020). "This Palestinian Label Launched the Digital World's Answer to Fashion Week". Vogue. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
  21. ^ "This Palestinian Designer is Hosting a Virtual Fashion Week". Mille World. 2020-05-22. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
  22. ^ Satenstein, Liana (24 June 2021). "This Label's New Collection Is Inspired by Its Designers' Experience as Queer Palestinians". Vogue. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
  23. ^ Nogues, Clotilde (4 August 2021). "Wifi Rider: An ode to Palestinian creativity through the lens of director Roxy Rezvany". Nowness. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
  24. ^ Levenson, Joey (8 September 2021). "Roxy Rezvany on her new film Wifi Rider and the art of Palestinian diaspora in Jordan". It's Nice That. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
  25. ^ "Shukri Lawrence". My.Kali. 12 October 2023. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
  26. ^ Manders, Hayden (27 March 2018). "How Jordan's Only Queer Publication Found Its Footing". Nylon. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
  27. ^ Tirado, Fran (10 January 2018). "The Most Exciting Queers to Follow on Instagram in 2018". them. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
  28. ^ Monique (4 December 2017). "Meet Shukri Lawrence, queer Palestinian clothing designer who's challenging Middle Eastern stereotypes". Just Add Color. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
  29. ^ Al Saadi, Leen (22 March 2023). "Podcast: Shukri Lawrence explains how Trashy Clothing is deconstructing norms, one kitschy garment at a time". Grazia Middle East. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
  30. ^ Jreig, Cynthia (30 August 2018). "Shukri Lawrence, The Wifi Rider, in conversation with Khalid Abdel-Hadi, founder of MyKali". JDeed. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
  31. ^ ""I create peaceful change"". YCreate. 17 October 2018. Retrieved 28 March 2024.


Category:Arab music video directors Category:Artists from Jerusalem Category:Digital artists Category:LGBTQ fashion designers Category:Mass media people from Jerusalem Category:Palestinian Christians Category:Palestinian fashion designers Category:Palestinian LGBTQ people Category:Palestinian people of Armenian descent

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Draft:Shukri_Lawrence&oldid=1250115520"