Draft:Shukri Lawrence

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

Early life and education
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. As a teenager, Lawrence would use his Armenian mother's identity to avoid confrontations with IDF soldiers. 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."

Career and artistry
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. 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.

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

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

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

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

In 2020, Shukri and his label started Cyber Fashion Week, a digital fashion week combining the intersections of fashion, art, music, and performance. 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. Cyber Fashion Week hosts 12 international designers showcasing collections on digital platforms with performances from musicians and virtual after-parties.

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. That same year, Lawrence was the subject of British director Roxy Rezvany's short documentary titled Wifi Rider.

has contributed to My.Kali

Personal life
Lawrence is queer.