Coperni’s newest bag- made of 99% air!
Coperni is known for breaking the mold when it comes to fashion by inventing garments that we didn’t even know was possible.
The most recent viral product from Coperni is the new Air Swipe Bag. Unlike other designer handbags using leather and other materials, the Air Swipe bag uses a material called silica aerogel. The bag is made of 99% air, and 1% glass.
The bag made it’s debut in Coperni’s ready-to-wear autumn/winter 2024-25 collection at Paris Fashion Week. It has been dubbed as the first ever accessory to be created with nanomaterial, making it an exciting advancement for the fashion industry.
Created by Sébastien Meyer and Arnaud Vaillant, the bag has gone viral for it’s cloudy appearance and scientific structure. Silica aerogel has been described as the lightest solid on Earth and is a nanomaterial used to collect stardust by NASA. Weighing just 33 grams, the garment can withstand a temperature of up to 1200 celsius and 4000 times the pressure of its own weight. Surprisingly, the bag does actually serve it’s purpose and can hold small and light objects. Although it can hold it’s weight, owners would have to use with care due to the bag’s material.
Aerogel is created by combining a polymer with a solvent, which then forms a gel. Air is then used to replace the liquid inside, making the bag look cloudy and transparent. The bag itself is solid and strong with the use of the 1 percent glass, however it would not be able to withhold the weight that a usual handbag could.
This is not the first time that Coperni has tried something new and exciting- demonstrating a dress worn by Bella Hadid in the Spring/Summer 2023 collection. The dress was created using Fabrican sprayed directly onto Hadid’s body, which then hardened into a latex-like material. The material was then cut and folded into the desired shape, creating an innovative and marvellous spectacle in the fashion show and the industry.
Although this bag is unavailable to purchase, Coperni does offer similar shaped handbags in different materials averaging on £600. From the start of 2024 Coperni has brought us accessories linked to space, and we can’t wait to see what’s in store for us next.
By Emma Foakes
