French Fashion Brand Coperni Shuts Down After Distributor Dispute

The French fashion label Coperni has officially ceased operations following an unresolved dispute with its exclusive distributor and majority shareholder, Tomorrow, the brand announced. Co-founders and creative directors Sébastien Meyer and Arnaud Vaillant shared a personal memo stating that they were unable to overcome the ongoing conflict involving unpaid sums and licensing issues.

“These eight years have been extraordinary,” the designers wrote in their announcement, thanking their teams, factories, buyers, press, and the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode. “As the world becomes increasingly challenging, particularly in the fashion industry, we believe there is still so much to create and reinvent.”

Tension surrounding the brand had been escalating throughout the year. The crisis first emerged publicly in March when Coperni abruptly canceled its Fall/Winter 2026 fashion show at Paris Fashion Week. Following months of pending payments owed to the brand by Tomorrow, the Paris commercial court placed Coperni under receivership in June to help the company continue operating while the founders attempted to reacquire control.

Complicating the situation further, Tomorrow Ltd was acquired in March by Progetto 11, the holding company for the Italian e-commerce platform The Level Group. Following the sale, Tomorrow's former CEO and founder Stefano Martinetto stepped down. Progetto 11 stated upon its arrival that it found a business already struggling with ownership disputes and a lack of funding.

As Tomorrow's wholesale business faltered amid challenging industry conditions, Coperni claimed that the distributor stopped forwarding the brand's revenue share and covering production costs for shows and campaigns. Financial filings indicated that Tomorrow's turnover fell significantly while its operating losses mounted.

After filing for court protection in France, Coperni reportedly received three acquisition proposals in October from prospective buyers, including AA Investments, private investor Victor Bughin, and Philippe Sayada. However, attempts to secure the brand's future ultimately failed, leading to the decision to close.

Co-founded in 2013 by Meyer and Vaillant, Coperni earned widespread acclaim for blending fashion with technology. Among its most iconic moments was the Spring/Summer 2023 runway show, where a dress was sprayed live onto model Bella Hadid's body using fabric-forming liquid, as well as the creation of the viral Air Swipe bag.