If last season’s Coperni show at Disneyland Paris was a celebration and indulgence in all things fantasy and make-believe, Sébastien Meyer and Arnaud Vaillant took the red pill for their pre-fall collection. The darker mood was immediately evident, even before the pair showed off their inspiration board filled with images from Hackers, The Matrix, and even Lara Croft in Tomb Raider. “So we worked a lot on this very ’90s silhouette with this idea of technical pockets—everything’s very practical, very fitted.” Vaillant explained. Three-button blazers had technical pockets held close with plastic buckles, and jeans came with belts and straps that wrapped around the hips and the legs where one could presumably hold a kind of weapon (or at least Lara Croft would). “It’s also a little S&M vibe, which I love,” Vaillant added. A patent leather jacket that turned out to be made from cactus leather was equally irresistible.
Elsewhere there were hybrid pieces—a pair of jeans that created a trompe l’oeil shorts over stirrup leggings effect, and a poplin buttondown shirt with jersey sleeves—and a half-polo (cut the long way as opposed to being cropped), that offered interesting layering opportunities worn over a plain tee, or interesting erotic opportunities when worn with nothing underneath. Though the collection had an overall hard feeling, there were soft moments woven throughout—light-as-air knits with soft petal-like openings that wrapped around the body, and other knits with a built-in headband. (“All the girls in the office are wearing these jersey headbands so we incorporated them into the sweaters,” said Meyer. They looked quite modern.) A mini-dress embellished with flowers, and a romantic burgundy slip dress covered in matching little butterflies that seem to fly when the dress is in motion rounded out the offering; but it was the halter dresses with an architectural silver Coperni “C” logo that wrapped around the neck which are the likely It-pieces, whether in a playful denim minidress, or a slinky evening gown version. If the collection was a taste of what’s to come next season, it should prove to be another banner year for the Coperni designers. “I’m very happy with it,” Vaillant said. “It’s desirable, but it’s tech, but it’s sexy and it’s wearable at the same time. I want to be that girl.”
