Ever since the Coperni Paris Fashion Week runway show on September 30, 2022, the fashion world has been set ablaze after Bella Hadid walked onto the runway for the final look of the show completely nude.
Wearing nothing but underwear, a pair of kitten heels and holding her breasts, Bella stood on the runway as the audience witnessed men surround her with what looked like sprinkle guns as they sprayed her body with sheets of white paint. Within 15 minutes, the white paint had formed a silly-string texture that other staff had then joined the stage and helped mould around her body to make a beautiful mid-calf length bodycon dress with straps hanging off her shoulders.
Although this was not the first time a model had their dress spray painted on for a show (RE: Spring 1999 Alexander McQueen when Shalom Harlow’s dress was spray painted by robots), Bella’s was unique and creative in its own way. The Cut shares the story of how the spray-on dress began with a man named Dr. Manel Torres. Torres had been wanting to create a sort of mist that could mimic a spider web and be moulded into an item of clothing. When he presented this idea to the Imperial College in London, he was given a lab and materials in order to make his vision come true. After about 2 years of experimentation, Torres has created Fabrican—a liquid fibre bound together with polymers, bio polymers and greener solvents that felt and behaved like suede.
With the vision completed and ready to be seen by the world, Torres’ invention found its way onto the runway of the Coperni show in Salle des Textiles at the Musée des Arts et Métiers in Paris. Torres, along with several specialists, joined Bella Hadid on stage and worked together to create art live in front of the audience.
While this was a very jaw-dropping moment on the runway, this was not Coperni’s first display of innovation and originality. Coperni has often experimented with special materials. Earlier this year, they created a hand-blown glass bag that has a process behind its creation that is similar to the uniqueness of the spray-on dress. The bags are said to have been hand blown through a sort of air horn that, through careful and slow work, was able to form a U-shaped purse. It is thick, transparent and incredibly chic. Since their creation, the bags have been seen on the arms of celebrities like Doja Cat and Kylie Jenner, putting Coperni in the spotlight for the last few months.
After Bella’s final look, Coperni’s post-show notes shared the brand’s thought processes behind their use of such inventive materials. They stated, “fashion designers need new materials and fabrics to create products to address evolving lifestyles and consumer demands. In the 21st century we should make it the first time that science and design really march together in close step, illustrating in this way their interdependence.”
By meshing together the worlds of fashion, science and art, Coperni not only created a beautiful look for their Spring 2023 ready-to-wear collection, but an experience both audiences live in Paris and all around the world through media got to enjoy and admire. The tweet below showcases a video of the runway, displaying the amazed reactions from the audience, with photos and videos being taken of the special moment.
Days later, and this look is still being talked about and praised—sparking the question of whether fashion history been made with this spray-painted dress.
In a world with iconic designers like Giorgio Armani, Marc Jacobs, Vivienne Westwood, Christian Dior, Donatella Versace and a continuously growing list of more designers that have shaped fashion into what it is today, I am torn between hastily calling this spray-on moment one for the history books and simply just giving credit where it is due. There is so much in fashion to be admired and recognized for the time, effort, creativity and intense preparation behind each piece, but I think that when something has it, it has it.
I believe there’s no room for argument here; the pure shock and moment of realization when Bella Hadid walked onto the runway naked as spray guns surrounded her is unmatched. We are witnessing this event’s fame right now, and this fame will only continue to expand and evolve until it transforms into an untouchable moment that will be referenced and looked towards in future shows and designs to come. I, for one, cannot wait to see what Coperni’s next collections will feature and what other brands will come up with to meet the legendary stage that Coperni and Dr. Torres came together to bring forth.