After the controversial parade of robot dogs by Coperni at Paris Fashion Week, the garments presented during the fashion show are quickly arriving on the market. First of all, an item that no one would have expected to actually be produced, a new it-bag that perhaps isn’t so new given that it incorporates the classic Swipe model of the maison and because the material it is made of literally comes from the age of stone. It’s the Mini Meteorite Swipe Bag, described by the two creative directors as “a lunar fossil fell to earth 55,000 years ago, found in 1968 in France and carved in 2023″a truly impractical accessory in itself, but, for those who can afford it, a unique collector’s item capable of combining archeology and design.
Coperni’s Mini Meteorite Swipe is a dark gray stone mini bag and is part of a limited edition made with a meteorite that actually fell to earth 55,000 years ago (and certified 100% authentic by Theatrum Mundi). Each bag is handmade, consequently the shape may vary slightly from piece to piece: the pieces of meteorite are taken for each order, therefore they can come from different locations, the stone is then worked by the artisans of the Semar Italian factory. The price starts at 40,000 euros, although the figure may vary depending on the quantity of meteorite contained in each bag, the waiting time is six weeks and the purchase is non-refundable. For the FW22 show, Meyer had already designed an alternative Swipe bag, entirely in glasssoon worn by Doja Cat, Tinashe and, in a version with devil horns in collaboration with the emerging brand Heven during the promotion of the new television series The Kardashians, by Kylie Jenner. For the SS23, in addition to the spray dress that hadn’t been put on the market, the designers had designed a version of the Swipe in gold available to order at 100,000 euros.
It is not the first time that Arnaud Vaillant and Sébastien Meyer have resorted to a singular gimmick to fuel the hype around Coperni. According to Vogue Business, the same spray dress worn by Bella Hadid last season is part of a very specific marketing strategy, defined in a derogatory sense by Rachel Tashjian on Harper Baazar ‘Gimmick’ (gimmick), but which has brought the brand, less than a decade after its foundation in 2013, to endemic success among members of Gen Z and on TikTok, as well as doubling profits compared to 2021. Alongside collections wearable and minimal garments, some wacky and instagrammable pieces have the task of attracting the attention of the public in an infinite loop of social media interactions.