Coperni's new retail concept serves as a tangible representation of 2023's leading fashion trend of ‘quiet luxury’, offering a spatial insight into the direction the fashion world is moving towards.
Key features
Coperni, a Parisian ready-to-wear and accessories brand, was established by Sébastien Meyer and Arnaud Vaillant in 2013. A decade post-establishment, Coperni is introducing its first retail concept in alliance with USM. The concept was officially unveiled with Coperni's inaugural shop-in-shop at Paris department store Printemps, followed by pop-ups at Selfridges in London and China Duty Free in Hainan. More will follow. USM's signature white-coated metal gives the store an ultra-minimalistic look, highlighted by a striking black logo on one of the walls. This ambience is further enhanced by mirrors and USM silver tubing in the fitting rooms. A standout feature is the flooring, which seamlessly blends traditional Versailles parquet with USM's Haller silver tubes. This ‘techno-chic’ design, conceptualized by Sebastian Meyer, marks the first time USM has adapted its modular concept to incorporate a new wooden material. Earlier in June, an identical white USM Haller system was used for the pre-fall 2023 collection photoshoot to announce the partnership.
FRAME's take
USM's Haller, the most celebrated modular system of the 20th century, comprises steel tubes and connector balls, providing infinite configurations. Since its initiation in the early 1960s, its timeless design has ensured the product’s longevity. Predominantly used for office spaces until the '90s, it quickly became a favourite among architects and designers who acquired the system from the secondary market, as many offices furnished with USM were transitioning due to shifts in office design trends.
While this system has been adapted for retail in the past, a fashion retail concept entirely based on USM is a bold move. In the realm of fashion, the store epitomizes the 2023 trend of ‘quiet luxury’, emphasizing understated elegance, high-quality materials, and precision in craftsmanship without the need for conspicuous branding. Another aspect of this trend is that one must be literate in design recognize a product entirely by its form. The Coperni pop-up is a spatial representation of this in-the-know understanding of luxury – fewer furniture systems are so highly regarded in the architectural world. In our distinctly postmodernist era, the retail concept establishes a fresh start in retail design, reminding us that less is more and bringing a renewed appreciation for modernism.