Coperni Announces Unconventional Venue for Upcoming Paris Fashion Week
Renowned French fashion brand Coperni, famous for a vibrant show at Disneyland Paris last season, prepares to wow the public with another unexpected venue for their exposition at the upcoming Paris Fashion Week.
Cofounders Sébastien Meyer and Arnaud Vaillant have shared plans to hold their show on March 9 at the newly built Adidas Arena in Paris — a facility timed to completion for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
The duo, passionate fans of technology and innovators in show formats, have planned a 24-hour local area network (LAN) party to revive the classic feel of multiplayer PC gaming in a real-world setting.
Arnaud Vaillant emphasized their admiration for all things technology-driven, stating, “We love everything digital and connected with technology, but we also love the social aspect. We want to tell stories using fashion industry codes, but geared toward a broader audience.” He went on to explain their plans to explore the ever-expanding universe of gaming, which he sees as domestically dominant, even to the point of religiosity.
Both Vaillant and Meyer enjoy immersive games such as “The Legend of Zelda,” “Valorant,” and “League of Legends,” but their collective recently celebrated the 1990s, when gaming was yet to permeate mainstream consciousness.
According to Meyer, the era was a highlight of real-life social interaction and a liberating period of gaming, in contrast to today’s high-connectivity digital world.
Describing their fall collection, Meyer mentioned the amalgamation of Coperni’s ’90s-inspired pre-fall line with technical and functional features like technical pockets and harness belts pulled from iconic movies, such as “Hackers” and “Tomb Raider.”
In recent months, the dynamic duo has attended both an e-sports tournament in Paris and the DreamHack in Stockholm — a traditional LAN party. Meyer narrated their experience as a nostalgic gathering for gamers and their families, describing it as an event where “geeks come together.”
The duo has arranged for an experiential spectacle at their 8:30 p.m. show, with scheduled participation from 200 players, or streamers. They plan to commendably maintain a gender balance among their player lineup, despite the industry’s structural underrepresentation of women.
The fashion industry has been continuously seeping into the gaming segment, aiming to connect with the younger consumer demographic. Previous examples include Louis Vuitton’s ads featuring “Final Fantasy” character Lightning and Balenciaga’s collaboration with Tencent-owned racing video game “Need for Speed Mobile.”
Coperni, a pioneer in incorporating unanticipated dimensions into their shows, staged a drive-in fashion show during the COVID-19 pandemic. The brand made headlines for a performance involving a nearly-naked Bella Hadid painted with a dress. With a surprise runway appearance by Kylie Jenner at their Disneyland Paris show, the brand managed to generate a staggering $16.8 million in media impact value.
As for the upcoming season’s show, Vaillant anticipates it being full of “surprises.” He believes the event will be visually spellbinding and hold significant digital amplification potential due to its appeal to the younger generation.
