The history of France is sewn with black yarn.
– Alain Mabanckou
Pierre-Antoine Vettorello is a French designer and researcher, who is currently beginning a PhD in fashion and textiles at Sint Lucas Antwerpen. His research focuses on the Senegalese diaspora’s relationship to clothing and fashion and during his residency at the Cité internationale des arts, his objective is to collect information and documents from the Senegalese community in Paris, particularly in the Goutte d'Or.
His research corpus consists of archives dating from the 1940s to the 1970s, interviews and testimonies of women who use fashion and textiles as a means of expression that allows them to question the approach of European museums to fashion and the importance of including objects created by the diaspora.
In so doing, Pierre-Antoine Vettorello aims to bring to light the stories that have been erased from history and the genealogy of the women who played a role in what is commonly referred to as "French fashion", by giving visibility to makers and wearers living in France before and after colonial independence in the 1960s.
This academic body of work is complemented and enriched by collaborations and visual works combining historical research, design, critical fabulation and photography. Pierre-Antoine Vettorello also works with students on educational programmes dealing with decolonial studies.
Pierre-Antoine Vettorello (France) is in residency at the Cité internationale des arts as part of the Flemish Government – Directorate of Arts and Heritage, Belgium program.