Extraterrestrial activity was reported in Paris last night, admittedly it may not have been the little green creatures that immediately spring to mind but there was definitely something intergalactic going down in the city’s outskirts – inside the cavernous hall of Studio 217 in Aubervilliers to be exact – as Coperni unveiled a FW24 collection destined for the stratosphere. Teased on Instagram 24 hours before the show through a video unveiling a futuristic version of the brand’s iconic Swipe bag made almost entirely from air; built using Aerogel, a silicone-based material used by NASA to capture stardust. Design duo Sébastien Meyer and Arnaud Vaillant were up to something special.

A towering obelisk loomed in the centre of the show space – pitch black on arrival, transitioning to a sequence of Rubik’s Cube-coded colours, then glowing white as the show began and John Williams’ The Conversation from Spielberg’s Close Encounters of The Third Kind boomed from the sound system. As models hit the runway it was clear we weren’t witnessing traditional ‘looks’, but ‘sightings’ from the future.

A series of archetypal outerwear pieces-turned-bodysuits opened the show paired with oversized shades, mini handbags in Ziplock evidence bags and clutch bags modelled on investigator’s clipboards – very X-Files. Transparent organza was pierced with star-shaped cutouts, silver foiled skirts were painted with 18-carat white gold leaves and UFO-shaped taffeta dresses bobbed as models walked. Sequins and sparkling jerseys became second skin, hugging the body in sheer iterations as sleeves swung at knee height and glimmered under the spotlights.

As the show came to a close, the central obelisk began strobing in blindingly white bursts. Fuzzy halos levitated around models’ shoulders and star-soled shoes left footprints on the ground as Coperni’s girls strode into the future – destination unknown.