MARIE HAZARD x VERLAN

MARIE HAZARD AND VERLAN PARTNER UP TO SUPPORT CULTURAL ACTIVITIES IN SENEGAL WITH NGO LE KORSA WITH THE SALE OF A LIMITED-EDITION T-SHIRT. 

THIS COLLABORATION LAUNCHES VERLAN’S “ART FOR ALL” PROGRAM: AN INITIATIVE AIMING TO PROMOTE ART AND ITS ACCESSIBILITY VIA A SERIES OF NON-PROFIT COLLABORATIONS WITH INTERNATIONAL ARTISTS AND COLLECTIVES SUCH AS THE KOURTRAJMÉ SCHOOL, KENDELL GEERS AND CINGA SAMSON.

FOR THIS FIRST COLLABORATION, 110 T-SHIRTS HAVE BEEN PRODUCED AND WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR SALE AT 65€ EXCLUSIVELY THROUGH THE VERLAN WEBSITE (SHOP HERE). RESULTING PROFIT WILL BE EARMARKED TO SUPPORT CULTURAL PROJECTS IN THE TAMBACOUNDA REGION OF SOUTH-EAST SENEGAL.

AN ORIGINAL ARTWORK BY MARIE HAZARD WILL BE PRINTED ON THE BACK OF EACH T-SHIRT. THE PIECE OF ART HAS BEEN SPECIFICALLY CREATED FOR THIS COLLABORATION. MADE FROM A COMBINATION OF LINEN, ANGORA AND POLYESTER THREADS SEWN TOGETHER TO CREATE A DELICATE ‘NET’, THAT CAN BE INTERPRETED IN MANY WAYS, DEPENDING ON THE STANDPOINT OF THE VIEWER.

AS MARIE HAZARD SAYS “A NET ITSELF HAS DEEP SYMBOLIC MEANING TO ME: REPRESENTING INTERCONNECTEDNESS, VACANT SPACES, STRUCTURE AND BOTH STRENGTH AND FRAGILITY AT ONCE. IN THIS TIME OF THE GLOBAL PANDEMIC, THE LINKS BETWEEN US HAVE NEVER BEEN MORE STRAINED. I HAVE NOT MET THE PEOPLE IN THE TAMBACOUNDA REGION, BUT I SHARE A COMMON THREAD WITH THE ARTISTS THERE: WE ALL TAKE JOY FROM TRANSFORMING SIMPLE MATERIALS INTO ARTWORKS.”

PICTURE SHOT BY REBEKKA DEUBNER

NUMBERED BY HAND, FROM 1 - 110, AND SIGNED BY MARIE HAZARD ON THE INSIDE CARE LABEL, THE T-SHIRTS ARE MADE IN PORTUGAL BY TEXMIN USING A HEAVYWEIGHT 280G RIGID ORGANIC COTTON. THANKS TO ARIANEE BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY, EVERY T-SHIRT IS EQUIPPED WITH A NFC CHIP, ALLOWING FUTURE OWNERS TO ACCESS INFORMATION ABOUT THEIR GARMENT, TO RECEIVE EXCLUSIVE INVITATIONS FOR FUTURE LAUNCHES AND TO EASILY RESELL THEIR PRODUCT ON THE MARKET.

MARIE HAZARD WAS BORN IN 1994 IN LE HAVRE, FRANCE. SHE CURRENTLY LIVES AND WORKS IN PARIS. AFTER COMPLETING HER STUDIES AT THE ATELIER DE SÈVRES IN PARIS, MARIE HAZARD PURSUED STUDIES IN TEXTILE DESIGN AT CENTRAL SAINT-MARTINS IN LONDON. WEAVING IS HER MEDIUM OF CHOICE. BEFORE TAKING TO HER OWN LOOM, SHE BRIEFLY ASSISTED AMERICAN ARTIST SHEILA HICKS, A LEADING FIGURE OF THE TEXTILE ART MOVEMENT DURING THE 60’S. HICKS IS KNOWN FOR HER INNOVATIVE REVIVAL OF TRADITIONAL WEAVING PRACTICES. WEAVING HAD LONG BEEN CONSIDERED MORE CRAFT THAN ART, BUT WEAVING TECHNIQUES ENTERED THE VOCABULARY OF CONTEMPORARY FINE ART THROUGH THE WORK OF BAUHAUS ARTISTS SUCH AS ANNI ALBERS AND LATER, THE ARTE POVERA MOVEMENT, INCLUDING THE WORK OF ALIGHIERO BOETTI.

ABOUT THE CHOSEN NON-PROFIT ORGANISATION:
SINCE ITS ESTABLISHMENT IN 2005 LE KORSA HAS PROVIDED SUPPORT TO RURAL SENEGALESE COMMUNITIES, PARTICULARLY ACROSS THE FIELDS OF CULTURE, EDUCATION AND HEALTH. PROJECTS OF INTEREST BY LE KORSA:

- LES FOYERS DE TAMBACOUNDA IS A BEAUTIFUL FACILITY IN TAMBACOUNDA IN SOUTH-EAST SENEGAL. IT HOUSES YOUNG WOMEN FROM THE SURROUNDING VILLAGES WHO COME TO THIS REGIONAL CAPITAL TO ATTEND HIGH SCHOOL. LE KORSA, IN CLOSE PARTNERSHIP WITH DIRECTOR MAIMOUNA KA SOW, OVERSEES OPERATIONS AND PROGRAMMING FOR THE 130 YOUNG WOMEN WHO LIVE THERE. BECAUSE RURAL SENEGALESE COMMUNITIES STILL PRACTICE CHILDHOOD MARRIAGE, WITH GIRLS REMOVED FROM SCHOOL AND FORCED TO TAKE HUSBANDS, THE OPPORTUNITY FOR ADVANCED EDUCATION IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE MEANS OF ASSURING THEM A DIFFERENT FUTURE.
IN 2021 LE KORSA HAS INTRODUCED A NEW PROJECT AT THE FOYERS: ART CLASSES FOR THE PUPILS.

- THREAD, A CULTURAL CENTRE FOR LOCAL INHABITANTS OF THE RURAL VILLAGE OF SINTHIAN, A RURAL VILLAGE IN TAMBACOUNDA, DESIGNED PRO BONO BY ARCHITECTURE FIRM TOSHIKO MORI. MORI’S DESIGN CAREFULLY RESPONDS TO THE NEEDS OF THE SPACE AND THE LOCAL COMMUNITY, SUCH AS IN HER USE OF A PITCHED THATCH ROOF WHICH CAN PROVIDE 30-40% OF THE VILLAGE’S DOMESTIC WATER NEEDS. CREATED IN COLLABORATION WITH THE JOSEF AND ANNI ALBERS FOUNDATION, THREAD HAS WELCOMED CREATIVE RESIDENTS FROM ACROSS THE GLOBE. THE CENTRE ENABLES LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL ARTISTS TO ADVANCE THEIR OWN WORK IN THIS EXCEPTIONAL SETTING AND PROVIDES A VENUE FOR MARKETS AND CLASSES IN AGRICULTURE, LANGUAGE AND HEALTH FOR THE VILLAGERS.

 

VERLAN, SLANG FOR “À L’ENVERS” (UPSIDE-DOWN) IS READY-TO-WEAR BRAND THAT, AS ITS NAME PUTS IT, THINKS REVERSE IN ORDER TO RECONCILE OPPOSITES:

• ORIGINALITY AND TIMELESS
• LIMITED EDITION AND ACCESSIBILITY
• NAUGHTY AND SUSTAINABILITY

IT IS A BRAND FOR A GENERATION THAT UNITES AROUND POP CULTURE WHILE SHARING THE SAME SENSITIVITY TO A TIMELESS AESTHETIC AND QUIRKY SUBJECTS SUCH AS JEAN PROUVÉ AND THE PSG, CY TWOMBLY AND FONKY FAMILY, WES AND PAMELA ANDERSON.

LAUNCHED IN PARIS IN 2019, VERLAN IS OPERATED BY ITS FOUNDER LUCCA LAMOINE.