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Translated by
Roberta HERRERA
Published
Oct 3, 2022
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Coperni breaks the Internet, Vivienne Westwood pays tribute to Paris

Translated by
Roberta HERRERA
Published
Oct 3, 2022

Paris's Rue Saint-Martin was taken by storm on Friday evening, with traffic practically at a standstill around the Conservatoire des Arts et Métiers. In the hubbub and confusion, a heterogeneous crowd was gathered outside, which included photographers, journalists, influencers, celebrities, curious passers-by and fans hoping to catch a glimpse of international stars. Coperni, a social media favourite, is currently one of the most desired French brands in the fashion industry. 


Coperni - Spring/Summer 2023 - Womenswear - Paris - © PixelFormula


In the Textiles room of the museum, the public was growing impatient after a more than 40 minute delay. The show began after the arrival of its last guest: Kylie Jenner, dressed for the occasion in a low-cut electric blue mini-dress and futuristic sunglasses. The youngest member of the Kardashian clan had a very busy Paris Fashion Week and attended the shows of Acne Studios and Balmain, among others. Sébastien Meyer and Arnaud Vaillant of Coperni presented a fashion show in the form of a tribute to strong and powerful women. But the star did not suspect for a moment that her presence would be more than anecdotal ten minutes later.

True to its sensual and modern signature style, Coperni reinterpreted the men's suit in the form of hybrid garments, combining layered jackets or integrating them into the back of decidedly feminine fitted dresses, while button-down jackets were worn over white tank tops, a must-have item for spring/summer 2023. Asymmetrical mini-dresses with side slits were adorned with lingerie-inspired details, black ensembles with fuchsia and metallic blue accents and exaggerated shoulder pads mimicked robotic armor, low-rise cargo pants played it casual, while mini-shorts hugged the models' figures. A series of pastel looks, decorated with small sparkling crystals, enhanced this collection in search of renewed femininity.


Coperni - Spring-Summer2023 - Womenswear - Paris - © PixelFormula


But the main highlight arrived at the end of the show, with a live performance that went viral in just a matter of minutes. A moment that will have reminded fashion insiders of the spring 1999 collection during which Alexander McQueen captivated his audience with robots spray-painting a model wearing a white dress.

On Friday night, Coperni achieved a double performance by entrusting the stage to Bella Hadid, appearing naked as a blank canvas before two professionals in charge of spraying her with fabric spray paint. The performance lasted less than seven minutes, leaving the whole audience speechless. Obviously, the videos did not take long to flood social media platforms.

With this futuristic and visually immersive project, the brand reaffirmed its innovative spirit by creating a live dress using a spray fabric developed by Spanish inventor Manel Torres. Upon contact with the famous model's body, the spray solidified into a tight-fitting, latex-like fabric. Another woman entered the scene during the final minutes to refine the look, making a side slit and positioning the straps on Bella's shoulders, sublimating her appearance of a Hellenic sculpture.
 
"This is a moment in fashion history," commented the specialists in the corridors at the exit of the crowded show. Meanwhile, social media networks were already multiplying the images of the performance. The challenge was brilliantly met.

Vivienne Westwood pays tribute to Paris



A few hours later, on Saturday October 1, another eagerly awaited fashion show took place in the Marais district of Paris. The British designer Vivienne Westwood invited her fans to the Gaîté Lyrique theater, where her husband and creative director of the brand Andreas Kronthaler, paid a personal tribute to the French capital.


Vivienne Westwood - Spring-Summer2023 - Womenswear - Paris - © PixelFormula


"This is my dream collection. I couldn't explain it to Vivienne, she didn't know, I just had to do it. I walked out of my house and thought I was in Paris: something in the sky made me realize how much I wanted to be there," explained the Austrian designer. True to the brand's theatrical character, the casting mixed male and female models perched on oversized platform shoes, at times wearing metallic masks or impossibly large headdresses, walking on a circular platform where they posed for the cameras.

Vivienne Westwood's signature punk style was offset with Renaissance references, with wide satin dresses featuring layered tulle ruffles, refined corsets, ruched sleeves and baroque floral patterns. Ripped shirt collars, harnesses, layered knit and crochet pieces, or a voluminous silky satin dress that wrapped around a model looked like something straight out of a period movie.

Of the materials used, the only ones commissioned by the label were silk brocades by Stephen Walters. The rest came from dormant stocks and recycled second-hand pieces, reinforcing the historical nature of the looks, which captivated the front row audience where singers Halsey and Doja Cat and model Coco Rocha were sat. Renowned names also grazed the catwalk; Russian model Irina Shayk opened the show, followed by Bella Hadid, dressed this time in a white blazer worn with boxing gloves.

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