In yesterday's post we pondered about the potential application of a discovery in forensic investigations to fashion that may unleash innovative researches. Science can definitely intersect with fashion to create cutting-edge designs as recently proved by the Coperni duo.
To celebrate their recent collection, Arnaud Vaillant and Sébastien Meyer presented the result of a recent research they did - their latest iteration of their trademark Swipe Bag, this time crafted from a material called aerogel.
Inspiration came from a picture by NASA showing a block of aerogel with the consistency of a hologram, almost floating on a hand.
While the first aerogel was developed in 1931, advancements in the material over the decades have broadened its applicability across various fields, allowing it to retain its status as the lightest substance in the world per cubic meter, capable of withstanding extreme temperatures while excelling as a thermal insulator.
In recent years, NASA has used aerogel for the thermal insulation of the Opportunity rover and in suits worn by astronauts. Besides, in 2004, it was used as a filter for the Stardust probe, to collect dust samples from the tail of the Wild 2 comet and bring them back to Earth.
In 2012, NASA introduced an enhanced aerogel, 500 times more resistant than its silica-based predecessors. This advancement involved two techniques - altering the internal architecture of traditional silica aerogel by incorporating strengthening polymers or utilizing an exceptionally resistant plastic polymer, polyimide, further reinforced by cross-linked supports.
Subsequent studies have explored diverse applications for aerogel, ranging from flexible, ultra-lightweight insulation coatings to thermal insulation for domestic walls.
There's even speculation about its potential as a building material on Mars, where its insulating properties could raise temperatures enough to melt water ice on the Martian surface.
Efforts have also focused on utilizing aerogel to create lightweight clothing with reduced bulk: in 2010, Canadian mountaineer Jamie Clarke experimented with a special thermal jacket containing aerogel during an Everest climb. However, due to high costs, the garment never entered production.
In 2016, Oros, an American startup, patented a more flexible and durable aerogel, paving the way for a line of jackets and winter clothing resistant to extreme temperatures, launched through a Kickstarter project.
Coperni's bag, resembling solid smoke, is actually composed of 99% air and 1% glass. Remarkably lightweight at 33 grams, it can support up to 4,000 times its own weight, so approximately 12 kilograms.
Manufactured in Athens, Greece, with the logo crafted in Limassol, Cyprus, and developed with the assistance of engineer Prof. Ioannis Michaloudis, the bag boasts a truly unique composition and visually it seems to combine the transparency of jellyfish with the impalpable texture of salps. The innovative anti-material gives the bag the appearance of a cloud.
Each season, the Coperni duo unveils a fresh iteration of their Swipe Bag. Past versions have featured materials such as glass, solid gold, a 55,000-year-old meteorite, and even a CD player integrated into the design (or rather, a Swipe Bag shaped like a CD player… View this photo).
However, this was the first time they worked with a nanomaterial and the first time a team employed aerogel to create such a large object (the team went through numerous trials and errors during the development process). The Air Swipe Bag will not be produced, but it may become available on order (though it would be interesting to know more about the deterioration of this material throughout the years – after all, it was transported to Paris in a rigid plastic case as shown in videos on Coperni's Instagram page).
The bag aligns with the sci-fi theme of Coperni's A/W 24 collection. Leading up to their Paris show, Coperni teased their Instagram followers with spoof videos depicting UFO sightings in New York, Naoshima, and Paris. In the video a monolith-shaped object was seen hovering over rooftops against the backdrop of bustling city sounds and curious onlookers.
The UFO-like monolith, reminiscent of Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey," eventually landed on the Coperni runway. Just before the show commenced, it illuminated while John Williams's "The Conversation" from Spielberg's "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" played in the background.
While science served as the primary inspiration for the bag, the collection drew from sci-fi films and futurist inspirations. A crinkled silver minidress, inspired by space blankets and satellite foil, made an appearance alongside lizard suits crafted from a geometric patchwork of deadstock leather, maybe a reference to reptilian aliens, Kenneth Johnson's "Visitors" or the reptilian conspiracy theory.
Cable knits unfurled into tentacular elements, resembling a star implosion, while more streamlined black designs and a black suit jacket reimagined as a bodysuit, seemed to point at "The Matrix." The green and blue shades that stained faux fur coats evoked instead alien blood or bodily fluids.
Transparent suits and dresses incorporating fitted white shirts and sheer skirts referenced lab coats, but also brought to mind visions of alienation, and space madness in a futurist dystopia à la "THX 1138".
Talking about labs, there were also bags sealed in Ziploc envelopes (the models carrying them donned decorative black claws over thier fingers, maybe referencing the Xenomorph in the "Alien" films), as if they were evidence from the secret labs at Area 51, and a clutch bag modeled after a clipboard binder (ideal to store notes from your alien findings... View this photo).
Comet dust inspired the glittery and sequined evening dresses, while feathered hoops in the evening gowns that closed the show echoed instead Pierre Cardin's passion for the circle as a metaphor for the moon, and puff mini-skirts matched with sporty jackets verged more towards Nicolas Ghesquière.
Flying saucer and star-soled stilettos (the latter would make a great match with Claude Montana's iconic star-shaped hat, View this photo) complemented the ensembles.
While Coperni display in their collections innovative ideas, such as the aerogel bag, they sometimes falter in execution.
Previous shows featured gimmicks like the spray-on dress and the robot dog, which were cleverly avoided this time. However, the aerogel bag didn't receive much attention on the runway, despite social media reposts and behind-the-scenes videos allowed us to appreciate it.
As they move away from gimmicky presentations, the duo should maybe focus on crafting more coherent narratives for their shows and be willing to edit their collections or refine their looks to better translate their inspirations into garments.
In this case focusing on one sci-fi film rather than several ones, may have provided a less disharmonic final impression.
Besides, despite knowing how to come up with perfectly tailored suits, they got lost running after the latest trend: the trenchcoat or jackets-cum-bodysuit may align with the trend favoring panties but no pants/skirts, but in one or two cases, the design wasn't built with precision and the lower section of the garment created a rather undesirable diaper-like effect. Denim pants that looked extremely low on the hips seemed instead a re-edition of Alexander McQueen's "bumsters" pants.
Coperni's Pre-Fall collection drew inspiration from science and technology and was accompanied by a shot at the CERN, the Switzerland-based European Organization for Nuclear Research in Geneva.
Perhaps a longer stint in a laboratory setting, whether at CERN, the Gran Sasso National Laboratory (LNGS) laboratories, or NASA, would be more beneficial for the Coperni duo than another runway show as they may find there a balance between fantasy, technology, and scientific experimentation and a way to produce collections "scientifically", in a more cohesive manner.
After all, we, as viewers, willingly suspend disbelief while watching a sci-fi film, but a fascinating and cohesive narration remains paramount as we all yearn for a believable story.
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