Italian fashion house Prada announced last week, during Milan Men’s Fashion Week, that 25-year-old rapper Saint Levant had been named a brand ambassador. The announcement came just days after he sat in the front row at Prada’s Spring-Summer 2027 men’s show at Fondazione Prada.
At first glance, it looked like another natural move by a luxury brand seeking to connect with a younger generation and pop culture through creators with a distinct cultural identity. But in this case, the appointment carried a clear political charge.
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Saint Levant and the pendant at Prada’s Spring-Summer 2027 men’s show
(Photo: Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images for Prada)
Saint Levant, whose full name is Marwan Abdelhamid, was born in Jerusalem to a French-Algerian mother and a father of Palestinian-Serbian descent. He grew up in Gaza and Jordan and has become one of the most prominent Arab voices on the international scene in recent years.
His music blends English, Arabic and French, and between his multilingual sound, global fan base and effortless style, it is easy to see why multinational brands find him appealing. But it is impossible to separate Saint Levant’s music, Palestinian identity and fashion presence.
Saint Levant on the red carpet, 2023
(Photo: Kristy Sparow/Getty Images for GQ France)
In Prada’s official campaign, Saint Levant is seen wearing a pendant shaped like the map of “historic Palestine,” referring to the area’s pre-1948 borders before the establishment of the State of Israel. It is a pendant he has often worn in recent years, including during performances.
His positions are well known. He has used his platforms to call for a cease-fire, humanitarian aid for Gaza and an end to the occupation. In an interview with Harper’s Bazaar, he said everything he does is dedicated to the Palestinian struggle.
Prada is not the first brand to show interest in him. He has also appeared in campaigns for Dior and Saint Laurent.
Saint Levant at Prada’s Fall-Winter 2025-26 show
(Photo: Victor Boyko/Getty Images for Prada)
Prada’s Instagram post announcing him as a brand ambassador to the fashion house’s 33 million followers drew about 118,000 likes and quickly became a forum for political argument.
On one side were thousands of Palestinian flag emojis and supportive comments such as “the right side of history” and “our Prince of Palestine.” On the other hand, many critics saw both the choice of Saint Levant and the necklace he wore as a political statement that they said denies the very existence of the State of Israel.
Saint Levant and Huda Kattan in Dubai, 2026
(Photo: Cedric Ribeiro/Getty Images for Huda Beauty)
Hen Mazzig, a pro-Israel activist, wrote in a post: “Hate sells. Prada just proved it. Their new global ambassador wears a pendant shaped like the whole land from the river to the sea, with Israel erased from inside the outline.
"In November 2024, days after gangs in Amsterdam ran Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer fans down with cars and chased others through the streets with knives, he stood on a stage and thanked them for 'taking care of business', and now Prada "made him their global face."
"Here is the part that should stop you", Mazzig added in the post. "Put that identical map on an Israeli neck, with Palestine erased instead, and the campaign is dead by sundown and the word for it is genocidal."
Saint Levant for Prada
Earlier this year, Palestinian-American model Bella Hadid was named Prada’s first global beauty ambassador. Miuccia Prada and the brand’s management have not publicly addressed the criticism, the necklace or its meaning. Still, it is difficult to assume the image was accidental, since campaigns of this kind are managed carefully and every detail is typically approved.
It is impossible to know whether Prada asked Saint Levant to keep the pendant on as a deliberate political statement. But the decision to appoint an ambassador so closely identified with the Palestinian narrative has become one of the most discussed moments of the current fashion week.
"Imagine the other version. Prada picks an Israeli and a Palestinian model", writes Mazzig. "It invests in peace instead of division. Its map has both names on it, side by side. But peace doesn't sell. Hate does. And now hate wears Prada."