AIR TO WEAR. COPERNI’S REVOLUTIONARY BAG BLENDING FASHION AND TECHNOLOGY.
Written by Smriti
In the realm of fashion, Coperni is known for pushing boundaries and their latest innovation—a bag made entirely from air—is poised to disrupt the accessories market.
Drawing inspiration from science fiction, Coperni's autumn/winter 2024 interplanetary collection showcased quintessential outerwear, complemented by second-skin jersey dresses paired with star-shaped stilettos and UFO-inspired accessories. Adding flair to the collection was the brand’s “Air Swipe Bag”.
As the name suggests, this bag was 99% air and 1% glass.
Any guesses to why it was so?
Aerogel, often called as solid smoke or blue smoke is a silicon-based nanomaterial used by NASA to capture stardust and this was their fabrication. Mind the fact that it is the lightest solid on planet Earth, to create the bag.
Indeed, an out of this world accessory!
Visionary designers and the co-founders, Sébastien Meyer and Arnaud Vaillant of the French brand Coperni, had to do something out of the world for their Autum Winter 24 collection when the masses are expecting something extraordinary from the designers who created a hype with Bella Hadid’s spray dress.
And Aerogel was their catch. Representing a bold leap into the realm of fashion-tech innovation, this accessory from Coperni's autumn/winter 2024 interplanetary collection embodies the brand's commitment to pushing boundaries and redefining conventional fashion norms. Calling it merely an accessory would be an understatement because The Air Swipe Bag has been a testament to the futuristic fashion and technology.
Instagram direct messages and Zoom calls initiated by the designers Sébastien Meyer and Arnaud Vaillant to Professor Dr. Loannis Michaloudis from Greece sparked the creation of the Air Swipe Bag.
Working on exciting projects, Professor Loannis Michaloudis is a Greece originate visual artist, academic, researcher and the Founding Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at
The American University of Cyprus in Larnaca. His genuine ardor and dedication to both the spheres of arts and science have been the propelling factors behind his sustained achievements, leading to his collaboration with the renowned French brand. Michaloudis also displayed humility, admitting that he perceives himself as gaining knowledge from his students as much as he imparts knowledge to them. Working hard with the Greece originate Professor Loannis Michaloudis, the cutting-edge bag underwent 15 prototypes.
Calling it fragile because it was 30-33g, would not be a good idea since the “magical cloud”- as described by the designers, could hold up to 4000 times its own weight (thanks to the glass reinforcement as well) and heat up to 1200 degree Celsius.
Contemplating filling the bag with your essentials? Rethink on it! Scientifically poetic, as described by Meyer Sebastian of Coperni’s stardust collecting Swipe Bag is a highly delicate and non-fragile nanomaterial. Described by NASA as one of Earth's lightest solid materials, aerogel boasts a chemical composition akin to gas, forming the structural shell of the bag. Created through a process of polymer-solvent combination followed by liquid extraction, aerogels exhibit porous, low-density characteristics while remaining solid to the touch. These unique properties likely intrigued Coperni to experiment with aerogel for its latest creation, the ethereal Air Swipe Bag. Its translucent nature lends the bag a transparent appearance, allowing captured smoke inside to seemingly hover in frozen suspension.
