Coperni, known for its viral originality, once again pushed the boundaries of fashion at its 2023 show in Paris, leaving a lasting impression with unconventional displays. From semi-nude model Bella Hadid walking through a liquid spray transforming into a white dress to robot dogs and 3-D printed flower-strewn lace dresses, Coperni has consistently surprised the fashion world.
For their upcoming fall 2024 ready-to-wear collection, designers Sébastien Meyer and Arnaud Vaillant collaborated with researcher and professor Ioannis Michalous to unveil the groundbreaking Aerogel Air Swipe Bag. The bag, seemingly made of air, introduces the avant-garde use of Aerogel, often dubbed “blue smoke” or “solid smoke.” Aerogel, a silicon-based solid with a porous structure, is more than 99 percent open space, making it incredibly lightweight, about a thousand times less dense than glass.
The intricate process of creating Aerogel involves subjecting a gel composed of colloidal-silica structural units filled with solvents to high temperatures and pressure-critical-point drying. The result is a bag that appears almost cloud-like, representing the largest piece ever crafted from this nanomaterial. Coperni’s Aerogel Air Swipe Bag is a revolutionary leap in both fashion and technology.
While the concept may sound perplexing, it seamlessly aligns with the interplanetary theme of the entire collection. The runway showcased archetypal outerwear complemented by star-shaped stilettos, watery second-skin jersey dresses, UFO heels, and models adopting an alien aesthetic, sans eyebrows. Much like NASA, Coperni’s focus is on the future, creating a collection that resonates with a forward-thinking, space-inspired vision.
In the spirit of intergalactic exploration, Coperni’s fall 2024 collection invites fashion enthusiasts to embrace the unconventional and witness the marriage of high fashion and cutting-edge technology. It’s a daring venture into uncharted territory, where the Aerogel Air Swipe Bag stands as a symbol of innovation in the world of couture. “Beam me up, Scotty!”
