Is Coperni Still a Brand of the Future?
Nothing is more exciting than Disneyland—at least in a “I’ll buy you a princess costume” kind of way. But in fashion? That’s just a throwback to 2019’s Gucci x Disney. And yet, here we are, ready to play the Disney card in 2024 after Coperni’s SS25 show and the viral Disney t-shirt snagged from Vinted. So, can Coperni still be considered a brand of the future after this little escapade?
Let’s get real: Coperni didn’t plan for that t-shirt to blow up like it did, which was unfortunate because it overshadowed the true star of the collection—the Swipe Bag. Yes, the same one, now 3D-printed and gravity-defying. A new collectible! Coperni is clearly having fun experimenting with technology. No judgment here, Dior has been releasing 100 versions of the book tote bag for years now and selling out. But if you want to be a future-forward brand, you need more than just a shiny bag. A peek at their website shows gorgeous clothes, but a lot of it is mass-produced in polyester and other synthetics. So, hey, maybe drawing attention to that t-shirt wasn’t the worst idea—after all, it shines a light on what’s not quite working for the brand right now: the clothes.
Founders Sébastien Meyer and Arnaud Vaillant have given us some unforgettable runway moments (enter memory: Bella Hadid’s spray dress), and they’re aiming to create a truly future-forward brand. The potential is there, especially considering they got Disney to play ball with them. But here’s the issue: many brands focus on one viral moment and forget to connect the dots. Are wholesalers really just going to buy the Swipe Bag in every color while ignoring the ready-to-wear? Not likely.
What Coperni—and plenty of brands—are missing is a solid cult following, a big cluster of fans. You can’t build a cult brand around just one item. Viral moments don’t automatically translate to sales, and in this market, a million impressions won’t pay the investments no matter how many impressions you get on social media. Coperni needs to ask themselves: Who are their clients? Are they engaged enough? Loyal enough? And in their case, do they even want to have tech-savvy clients? Maybe the decision to mass-produce synthetic clothing and outsource some of their RTW production is a way to reach a broader audience. But they’ll never know if they don’t down-size it.
So, is Coperni a brand of the future? In terms of tech, they’re getting there, but let’s be real: it’s pricey for what they want to accomplish. They’re basically aiming for a brand that belongs on Mars. And when it comes to loyalty and cultural significance? Their communication should be louder and more engaging, it should be defined better for a specific crowd and they should stop inviting just anyone to their shows.