The fashion month kicked off this season with Ralph Lauren’s extravaganza in the Hamptons. It ended with Coperni’s blowout event at Disneyland Paris.
A fleet of drivers was requisitioned to ferry guests to the amusement park, which was privatized for the fashion show and after-party that ran well past midnight, a stretch for many exhausted showgoers. But when Kylie Jenner closed the show in a black princess gown as fireworks exploded above Sleeping Beauty Castle, you couldn’t really be mad.
Coperni’s cofounders Sébastien Meyer and Arnaud Vaillant are known for their unexpected partnerships, though as science geeks, they’re usually active in the tech space (think Bella Hadid’s spray-on dress.)
It turns out they’re Disney geeks, too, and when the entertainment giant approached them about a collaboration, they saw bigger. Almost two years in the making, the event marked the first time Disneyland Paris has hosted a show during Paris Fashion Week.
“It’s probably the biggest project of our life,” Vaillant said in the backstage area, located inside the Gothic-style castle in the heart of the park’s Fantasyland area.
They played up the fantasy elements with their collection, which was inspired by characters ranging from Ariel in “The Little Mermaid” to the evil fairy Maleficent, but kept it grounded in reality with looks that channeled their brand of It-girl style (Disney heroines shared the moodboard with early-2000s Chloë Sevigny.)
The coed collection was divided into three chapters, opening with what they called “park tribes” – teens in vintage Disney T-shirts, Victoriana blouses and pretty dresses covered in organza butterflies.
This section was all about the mash-up, like a men’s shirt embroidered with sequined flowers, paired with Hawaiian print shorts and a pale yellow “Coperni Princess” T-shirt.
Next came the villains portion, including fun items like a black hoodie with “Maleficent” horns and an LBD with a tiara neckline, both part of a Disney x Coperni capsule line.
The most frightening thing about it was probably a pair of one-legged pants, part of a microtrend that also bubbled up at Louis Vuitton and Bottega Veneta – though if anyone can carry off that look, it’s probably Amelia Gray, whose raven-black hair was on-point.
The final act was the princess transformation, where tattered gowns gave way to modern-day versions of ballgowns: strapless bodysuits with billowing satin sleeves or bell bottoms.
A version of the brand’s signature Swipe bag with Mickey Mouse ears is already available online for 650 euros. For two lifelong fans who collected Disney characters’ autographs as kids, it truly was the place where dreams come true.
