Coperni ceases operations: French brand shuts down after conflict with shareholder Tomorrow

French fashion brand Coperni has announced the end of its operations after eight years in business. The decision was announced by the brand's co-founders Arnaud Vaillant and Sébastien Meyer in a joint statement on Instagram, as cited by Wave RBC.UA. According to the designers, the reason was an unresolved conflict with the company Tomorrow, which acted as the brand's shareholder and distributor.

Farewell statement from the founders

In recent months, Vaillant and Meyer attempted to save the brand and resolve their differences with Tomorrow, but the parties were unable to reach an agreement. As a result, Coperni SAS announced the cessation of operations. In their farewell address, the designers called the eight years "incredible" and thanked everyone who supported the brand: customers, models, celebrities, stylists, photographers, partners, teams, and manufacturers. "Thank you for helping bring this brand to life and making it so much more than the two of us could have created on our own. We are proud of what we created together and happy that we were able to share this story with you. See you soon," the founders wrote.

Conflict with Tomorrow and loss of control

The timeline of the crisis, detailed in the statement, shows that tension had been mounting gradually. In February 2026, the brand withdrew from Paris Fashion Week, explaining that its relationship with Tomorrow Ltd. had deteriorated significantly and that the company "no longer had the resources for further development." In March, Tomorrow was sold to Progetto 11, the parent company of the Italian e-commerce firm The Level Group. Following this deal, Vaillant and Meyer attempted to regain control of Coperni, but the attempt proved unsuccessful. In June 2026, the brand received creditor protection via a Paris court, which offered hope for a buyout procedure, but the business could ultimately not be saved.

Path from a student studio to global fame

Arnaud Vaillant and Sébastien Meyer met while studying at Mod'Art International. In 2013, they founded Coperni Femme: Meyer handled the creative direction, while Vaillant focused on the business side. The brand was named after the astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus. By 2014, the designers had won the Creative Label Prize from ANDAM, and in 2015, they became finalists for the LVMH Prize. Later, they headed the creative direction of the French fashion house Courrèges, temporarily pausing work on their own label. In 2018, the designers returned to Coperni, focusing on minimalism, clean lines, architectural silhouettes, and the fusion of fashion with technology.

Iconic creations: from the Swipe Bag to the spray-on dress

One of the brand's most recognizable pieces was the Swipe Bag, whose shape replicates the iPhone screen-unlock gesture. Later, the designers released various versions of the accessory, made from apple-based vegan leather, transparent glass, gold, and even a fragment of a lunar meteorite. Coperni gained maximum resonance in 2022 during its Spring/Summer 2023 show in Paris: Bella Hadid took the runway in lingerie, after which specialists sprayed a special material from the Spanish company Fabrican onto her body, which solidified to form a white dress before the eyes of the spectators. The following season, robotic dogs appeared on the runway to assist the models, a continuation of the exploration of the connection between fashion, technology, and humans. A separate event was the Spring/Summer 2025 show at Disneyland Paris: in collaboration with Disney, the designers presented items and accessories with recognizable motifs, including a bag and shoes with Mickey Mouse ears, and Kylie Jenner was among those walking the show.

What's next

With the announcement of the cessation of operations, the story of Coperni, which began as a student project and turned into one of the most technological and media-driven brands in French fashion, is effectively coming to an end. The founders emphasize that they are proud of what they created over eight years and leave open the possibility of "meeting again" without disclosing details about the future. As of the time of publication, no independent confirmation of the legal liquidation of Coperni SAS has been received beyond the statement from the founders themselves and the message from Wave RBC.UA.