Fashion, Future, and Performance Art: Bella Hadid models revolutionary spray-on dress in Coperni’s SS23 finale
Words by Claire Ferguson, Head Stylist
Beloved label Coperni continues to draw headlines at Paris Fashion Week, concluding their SS23 show with an exciting homage to Alexander McQueen.
Coperni founders Sébastien Meyer and Arnaud Valliant
Founded by Sébastien Meyer and Arnaud Valliant, the brand derives its nomenclature from Nicolaus Copernicus, Renaissance astronomer and mathematician. The designers, who are famous for their ultra-modern aesthetic, credit Copernicus’ scientific discoveries and groundbreaking research as their sources of inspiration.[1]
Kylie Jenner sporting the famous ‘swipe bag’
Perhaps you are familiar with their signature glass ‘swipe bag,’ modeled by the likes of Doja Cat and Kylie Jenner in the spring of 2022.[2] Coperni is all-too-familiar with viral fame; as they have proven once again with the finale of their Spring/Summer 2023 show.
The collection, dedicated to the ‘Women of this World,’ highlighted feminine silhouettes and experimented with exaggerated proportions. The final look was modeled by none other than Bella Hadid, who stood nearly nude in front of the live audience for the performance.
Scientists from Fabrican sprayed her with a liquid polymer blend that transforms into a jersey-like fabric once it comes in contact with the skin.[3] Another woman on stage then cut and manipulated the dress before releasing Hadid to walk the runway.
Led in collaboration with Fabrican founder Dr Manel Torres, the finale marks a fascinating juxtaposition of fashion and technology. The liquid quickly changes form, appearing to gain consciousness in front of its audience. Viewers are left to consider the relationship of technology and humanity in the twenty-first century. This interaction is reminiscent of the infamous Alexander McQueen SS99 finale where Shalom Harlow spun on a turntable in a tiered white dress while two robots layered her with black and neon paint.
Harlow’s performance in McQueen’s SS99 finale was a spectacular observation of machinery for a fashion audience at the turn of the millennium.[4]
Meyer and Valliant’s finale offers the ultimate Gen Z love story: blending 90’s nostalgia with a retro-futurist aesthetic. Coperni effectively pays homage to McQueen through a modern coup de théâtre: performance art that translates into the digital era.
Coperni undoubtedly continues to secure the spotlight and they have us all eager to see what they will produce next.
[1] https://coperniparis.com/blogs/about/brand
[2] https://www.instagram.com/coperni/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=1968441b-8d65-4c02-a5aa-5547959be417
[3] https://www.fabricanltd.com
[4] https://blog.metmuseum.org/alexandermcqueen/dress-no-13/