Inside the world of Coperni

With the flurry of February’s Paris Fashion Week, creative directorial shakeups, tectonic shifts across legacy houses, and the usual race for attention, one show managed to cut through the noise: Coperni’s FW25. Transforming the runway into a gaming centre, the French label lined their show with gamers immersed in the neon-lit glow of their screens while models charged down the stretch in sleek, futuristic silhouettes–some clutching the Swipe Bag, playfully reimagined as a Tamagotchi.

While it served as an unexpected palette cleanser for the season, this kind of inventive storytelling is par for the course at Coperni. Since founding the brand in 2015, Arnaud Vaillant (CEO) and Sébastien Meyer (Creative Director) have forged a new design language built on tech play, sci-fi sensuality, and a sharp sense of cultural timing. From Bella Hadid’s spray-on dress to NASA-grade materials and collaborations with Meta and Ray-Ban, their work lives at the intersection of invention and emotion. Their Resort 2025 collection follows suit in a nod to the early optimism of Silicon Valley’s Steve Jobs era, layered with the languid sculptural elegance of the French Riviera.

We caught up with the duo in Dubai for the launch of their pop-up with Harvey Nichols-Dubai to talk about their latest collection, tech nostalgia, unexpected materials—and why fashion’s future might be brighter than we think.

Coperni has always been about merging logic and emotion, with its DNA rooted in both scientific theory and cutting-edge fashion. How does the RE25 collection embody this philosophy, and why was Harvey Nichols – Dubai the best partner for this showcase?

Arnaud: We’re really happy with how the pop-up has gone–it’s our first one, and it’s been a success both in terms of visibility and sales. We’ve had a long relationship with Harvey Nichols, so launching here made sense, and the Resort collection felt especially fitting for Dubai: it’s joyful, vibrant, and rooted in this idea of blending the Silicon Valley woman with the French Riviera woman.

That duality is at the heart of the brand. Sébastien brings the fascination with science and evolution, while I focus more on the business side. We’ve done road trips through Silicon Valley—visited Steve Jobs’ garage, spent time at Meta’s headquarters during our collaboration with Ray-Ban and Meta. All of that energy feeds into our collections.

Sébastien: Yes, and during our time in San Francisco we also got inspired by the power flower movement. That sense of freedom and individuality is something we care about. While we love tech, we’re equally drawn to femininity, sensuality, and wearability. Coperni is always about balancing both worlds.

You chose Nora Attal to star and embody your ideal of the modern woman in your latest collection. We also just had Nora Attal as one of our cover stars. What about Nora makes her a muse of this collection?

Sébastien: Nora is a beautiful mix of strength and softness. She embodies that tech-savvy, powerful woman but also has a gentle, effortless femininity that feels very French. She’s also part of our extended family; she’s walked in our shows, and she’s a friend. We love working with people who genuinely inspire us, not just professionally but personally.

There’s a commentary on the tech world and the familiar icons who first revolutionised it, mainly Steve Jobs. When we look today at the current state of Tech and its leaders, who have strayed in many ways from the original intrigue and inspiration around its earlier founders, do you ever consider these shifts in your work?

Arnaud: Steve Jobs is a major inspiration for us. Sébastien actually only reads books about people like him–those visionaries who changed the world through curiosity and innovation. That spirit really drives Coperni. For us, tech represents the desire to invent, to take risks, to keep evolving. Whether it’s materials, silhouettes, or storytelling, we’re always pushing to improve.

Yes, today’s tech world is more complex, even problematic at times. But we try to stay focused on the idea of progress and optimism–what technology can still offer in terms of beauty and possibility.

Sébastien: Every season starts from a different place: a movie, a new material, even a conversation with a scientist. But technology is always at the centre. It’s the thread that ties everything together.

Arnaud: And we love creating experiences–not just shows. For FW25, we staged a LAN party. I didn’t even know what that meant at first–Sébastien brought it up six months before and said, “We need to pay tribute to the gaming world.” 

The idea of nostalgia and human connection—people gathering in rooms to play games–was really beautiful. It was a massive production, but worth it. And we love that people came away having learned something new. That’s part of what we want to do with fashion.

Something you’ve been really doing in recent years is integrating digital nostalgia with contemporary fashion. Why is that?

Sébastien: I wouldn’t say we’re nostalgic exactly–but we do love creating emotion through memories. To imagine the future, it helps to know where we’ve come from.

Arnaud: In the ’60s and ’70s, futurism was often exaggerated–almost costume-like. Coperni is grounded in the now, with an eye toward the future. We occasionally reference the past, but mostly to make tech feel more human, more emotional.

Like with our Swipe Bags–we’ve done them in aerogel, meteorite, and recently as a Tamagotchi. When tech feels too serious or cold, we use those nostalgic touches to create warmth and familiarity.

Sébastien: Exactly. Technology can be intimidating, but when you introduce it through something playful–like a Walkman or a CD player–it becomes more approachable. That emotional connection is really important to us.

Many of your past designs have been driven by material innovation–the NASA-grade silica aerogel Airbag, the meteorite Swipe Bag, and the Walkman CD Bag. What’s the most unexpected material or technology you’re currently exploring?

Arnaud: (Laughs) Some of it is still top secret! But the Air Swipe bag was a game changer. When we saw the finished product, I honestly got emotional–it was like holding a cloud. It’s 99% air. Completely surreal.

We also launched a jersey fabric during the pandemic that moisturized the skin, offered UV protection, and had antiviral properties thanks to silver molecules we added in Switzerland. That turned into a full performance-wear line.

Sébastien: That’s something we want to keep exploring–how fashion can protect the body, not just dress it.

You are very collaborative. How do you decide what industries you partner up with and who you collaborate with?

Arnaud: People think Coperni is a big brand, but we’re still relatively small—about 30 employees. And because of that, we have to be selective. We get a lot of collaboration requests, but we say no to about 90% of them.

We only say yes when the partnership feels meaningful—when it’s something we couldn’t do alone, or when it taps into a childhood dream.

For example, designing a bottle for Evian was really special. In France, those limited-edition bottles are a cultural moment—your parents collect them. So to contribute to that legacy was surreal.

Coperni was named after the astronomer Copernicus, who redefined humanity’s understanding of the universe. How does that spirit of radical discovery continue to influence your creative direction?

Arnaud: When Sébastien first came up with the name, he suggested dropping the end of “Copernicus” to make it feel more like a lab—like “Coperni.” It sounded good in every language, and we didn’t want to name the brand after ourselves. That felt too traditional, too couture.

Now, I love the name more than ever. It constantly brings us back to our roots: discovery, curiosity, innovation. That’s the spirit that guides everything we do.

What are three words you’d use to describe the brand’s legacy?

Sébastien: Innovation. Innovation. Innovation.