By: Valentina Toro
Managing Editor
Fashion has always been about creativity, innovation and pushing boundaries. However, the recent closure of French fashion label Coperni raises questions about whether creativity alone is enough to survive in an industry increasingly influenced by financial interests.
On Nov. 4, Coperni co-founders Sébastien Meyer and Arnaud Vaillant announced that the brand’s French operating company would cease operations after months of unsuccessful negotiations with its majority shareholder and distributor, Tomorrow Ltd.
The announcement came as a disappointment for an industry that had watched Coperni transform traditional runway presentations into experimental showcases combining fashion and technology.
In 2022, the brand captured international attention when Bella Hadid appeared on the runway and had a white dress sprayed directly onto her body.
The presentation demonstrated how technology could become part of the design process rather than simply complementing it.
Two years later, Coperni introduced its Air Swipe bag, created using silica aerogel, an extremely lightweight material associated with aerospace technology.
The brand also staged a runway show at Disneyland Paris, bringing another unconventional concept to the fashion industry.
These presentations were more than opportunities to attract attention. They challenged expectations of what fashion could look like and how clothing could be presented to an audience.
I believe the industry needs brands like Coperni because fashion should not be limited to producing collections that follow the same trends season after season. Designers should have the freedom to experiment, even when their ideas are unconventional.
However, Coperni’s closure highlights a difficult reality.
A brand can generate international recognition, attract celebrities and create memorable collections without being protected from financial instability.
According to Vogue Business, the company’s financial difficulties involved a dispute over payments allegedly owed by Tomorrow Ltd.
The distributor’s new owner, Progetto 11, disputed responsibility for those payments and maintained that it had offered possible solutions.
Although the two sides disagree about what caused the breakdown, the situation raises broader concerns about the relationship between creative directors and the companies financially supporting their work.
When designers rely on outside businesses to manage distribution and funding, their creative independence may not guarantee control over their brand’s future.
For younger designers trying to establish themselves, this situation is especially concerning. Building an audience takes years, and even widespread recognition cannot replace reliable financial support.
That uncertainty could discourage the experimentation that makes fashion exciting.
What makes Coperni’s closure particularly disappointing is that the label had established an identity in an industry where originality can be difficult to maintain.
Its designs were not necessarily created for everyone, and some of its runway presentations attracted more attention for their spectacle than for the clothing itself.
Still, experimentation has an important place in fashion, especially when designers are willing to challenge established practices.
The fashion industry cannot expect innovation to continue if the business structures’ emerging and independent designers are unable to sustain their work.
Coperni’s future remains uncertain, and the closure of its French operating company does not necessarily mean its founders will stop designing.
For now, its departure from the industry serves as a reminder that behind every runway presentation, collection and viral fashion moment is a business that must remain financially stable.
Fashion needs creativity to move forward, but it also needs an industry capable of supporting the designers responsible for bringing those ideas to life.
