Just in time for the holidays, cult Parisian label Coperni has joined hands with LVMH-owned retailer 24S on a capsule featuring six ready-to-wear styles and accessories, launched on December 7.
Here, the two brands break down their collaboration.
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In what ways did the design process differ from if you were creating something solo?
Coperni founders, Sébastien Meyer and Arnaud Vaillant (M & V): “As we are working in partnership with 24S, which has been one of our key accounts for many seasons, we already know what their bestsellers are, what worked well for them previous seasons, what their customers are looking for. We know that the 24S customer loves Coperni, and we were able to tailor the capsule for them.”
Is collaboration an important part of your strategy?
M & V: "Our business remains in majority wholesale. We have 300 accounts worldwide and are working with all the best retailers and e-tailers, and it’s amazing to be able to use their platform to promote Coperni. However, the fashion industry is very competitive. Working on exclusive capsules allows our key accounts to have a unique offer to differentiate them from competitors and gives Coperni more visibility online or in store.
"We can also tailor the offer for specific geographic markets, demographics, or times of the year. This Christmas capsule with 24S, for instance, we wouldn’t necessarily have a specific Christmas offer in our mainline collection, [so] it was super interesting to be given the opportunity to offer something else to our customers through 24S."
Why 24S?
M & V: “[They are] our historic partner, collaborating with Coperni from the first season of the relaunch, AW19. 24S has been very supportive of Coperni from early on, buying into all categories (RTW, bags, shoes). We’ve really grown together. 24S is also a business based in France but with an international presence.”
What is the role of designer collaborations in sustaining online retail?
Buying director at 24S, Maud Barrionuevo (MB): “Collaborations are a way to stand out in the very competitive landscape of luxury and fashion e-commerce today. They allow us to reinforce our brand identity through the choice of designers we collaborate with, the product assortment developed, as well as the associated communications campaign at launch. It's also a powerful visibility channel for our brand partners. The curation of brands for this type of project is key because it always reflects 24S' positioning and DNA.”
Is collaboration an important part of 24S’ strategy?
MB: “We have prioritized this type of collaboration from day one, with the launch of the site in 2017, which saw over 100 exclusive pieces introduced by our participating brand partners. The following year, we asked Alexandre Mattiussi to create women's items for the first time as part of the 24S x AMI capsule. This hadn't been done before, and the success of the collaboration was such that AMI womenswear was launched shortly thereafter.
“Capsule collections are an opportunity to express our own fashion point of view and to promote Parisian style worldwide in a way that is sometimes unexpected. Since the launch, many iconic houses have played the capsule game with us, including Louis Vuitton, Celine, Fendi, Prada, and Dries Van Noten. As part of our partnership with the LVMH Prize, we also support emerging talents in their own brand development. Every year, we support the prize's finalists by collaborating on an exclusive capsule with them.”