:quality(70)/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/thenational/FBARMLCB3AWUGYPKTVZSKFFODQ.jpg)
The British fashion house Burberry has enlisted Palestinian rap collective BLTNM for its latest collaboration.
The trio from Ramallah star in a glossy video that is set in a beautiful Middle Eastern landscape and was created with Ma3azef, an online Arabic-language music magazine.
Clad head-to-toe in Burberry’s latest TB Monogram collection, rappers Shabmouri, Shabjdeed and Al Nather wear distinctive patterned T-shirts, shirts and silk scarves as they stand on top of a barren hill or are surrounded by palm trees and pools of water.
Shabmouri even directed the videos.
Released on social media under the tag Burberry X BLTNM, this tie-up is a first for the Palestinian rappers, and propels them to a new level of stardom. Already earning a name for their music, this release will put them on the world stage.
The trio, who formed their rap group in 2016, came up with their name – pronounced "blatinum" – in reference to Dubai's Platinum Records. They released their most recent EP earlier this year and are also founders of independent record label BLTNM.
For Burberry, this is the latest iteration of its endeavours to engage with a Middle Eastern audience. Creative director Riccardo Tisci is working hard to make the storied brand relevant to a new generation of Arab consumers.
In addition to calling on the rappers, the label recently commissioned Dubai artist Nathaniel Alapide to etch its logo into the Emirati sands. Barely a week later, it released images by Moroccan artist / photographer Mous Lamrabat as part of its Burberry Generation campaign.
Although Burberry has existed since 1856, the TB Monogram logo is relatively new, having been introduced in August 2018 by Tisci.
Created in collaboration with British art director Peter Saville, it is a reworking of the initials of the label's founder, Thomas Burberry.
_________________
Read more:
Dubai artist Nathaniel Alapide turns the UAE desert into a giant Burberry monogram
'We must go on': Elie Saab shares message of hope from his devastated Beirut atelier
The BTS x Fila Voyager Collection is now exclusively at Dubai's Mall of the Emirates
_________________