The unbearable lightness of being.

As a chemist who loves to write and finds excitment in vanity & fashion, I can confidently say that this opportunity is not to be missed. Coperni has given me the torch to delve deeper into their newest collection. I won’t explore everything from their FW24 collection, but only one item that is barely there.

What will I combine? My best self-characteristics: Fashion…Chemistry…Vanity.

Product of investigation? Air Swipe Bag ( Coperni x Ioannis Michaloudis )

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Let me explain myself right away. Coperni, led by Sébastien Meyer and Arnaud Vaillant, has launched a new product for their FW24 collection, setting a new standard for everyone else. The product is called the Swipe Air Bag and is made out of NASA’s nanomaterial called “silica aerogel,” also known as the lightest solid on Earth, consisting of 99 percent air and one percent glass. Silica aerogel has previously been used by NASA to “capture stardust.” Is it okay that I immediately thought of Bowie?

Did they choose this light material without having in mind to serve a certain purpose? Coperni’s shows always go above and beyond, evoking certain feelings that align with the era and the hype. So, in my opinion, the selection of nanomaterial silica aerogel, which is highly delicate and non-fragile and can withstand extreme heat of up to 1,200 degrees Celsius and a pressure of 4000 times its weight, is definitely not irrelevant.

I believe it represents the emotional baggage that each one of us carries in our souls. The soul is not an actual organ – like the heart, for example – and emotional baggage is something that looks like clouds, exactly what this bag looks like at first glance. And even though the material is really light, it can hold up 4000 times its weight, just like our souls are able to do if they are not cared for and nourished.

This product, which comes in a safety kit, is an excellent example of what society and perhaps the uncontrollable exposure to information have done to us and to our souls as an extension. Keep in mind that the bag is really small and can maybe fit an iPhone, as per Coperni’s response to a question in their Instagram post. If our bag can fit only a phone and we are pretty much okay with that, I can’t help but wonder… Is it safe to assume that we are as fragile as the material our baggage is made of?

I know that fashion is often overlooked as a form of art, but for me, it cannot be excluded. Items like this bag ignite conversations, feelings, and thoughts that are worth mentioning and talked about, not only under an Instagram post. I feel like these days people avoid deeper, more meaningful discussions, as I often catch myself in abstinence too. This definitely has to do with the specific emotional baggage each one of us holds, and eventually, this specific baggage is the nanomaterial that stardust is consisted of.

Aerogel is sometimes referred to as “blue smoke” or “solid smoke”. It is as delicate as a flower, yet durable enough to withstand extreme environments.

And as I tend to do lately, I am leaving with a song.

xxx, AT