After a month of runway shows from New York to Paris, how do you fire up journalists, buyers and the rest of the fashion industry for Fashion Week? By taking them to Disneyland Paris! That's the wager made by Coperni, which held its show in the theme park on Tuesday, October 1, the last day of the presentation of the Spring/Summer 2025 collection.

Even though the show ran late, by 10:30 pm, the fashion editors − usually a sullen bunch by this time − were seen jumping up and down like children as they were greeted by Tic et Tac. This was the first time the park, inaugurated in 1992 in Marne-la-Vallée (Seine-et-Marne, east of Paris), had presented a fashion show. "It's a childhood dream!" said Coperni founders Sébastien Meyer and his husband Arnaud Vaillant. "We both come from the south of France and, when we first arrived in Paris, that's where our parents took us, long before we went to visit the Eiffel Tower!" The two started the fashion house in 2013.

It took two years of negotiations with Disney to turn their dream into a reality. It was in front of Sleeping Beauty's illuminated castle that the models presented the collection − evidently inspired by the Disney universe and in the case of some pieces, the result of a collaboration with the American brand.

Divided into three parts, the wardrobe first evoked the innocence of childhood: little organza blouses with ruffles, shorts with key rings attached to the waistband, short white dresses with puffed sleeves, shoes with Mickey Mouse ears and a succession of vintage T-shirts adorned with Donald Duck and Grumpy.

Then came the evil characters and themes, with Snow White's wicked stepmother printed on a T-shirt, black patent leather coats and short dresses with strapless tops in the shape of haunted castles.

Finally, the princesses appeared in mini dresses cut from transparent tulle and featuring bunches of flowers. Beauty mogul Kylie Jenner closed the show in a voluminous strapless black gown. A well-executed collection with commercial potential.

As the procession rolled out against the backdrop of the majestic castle decked out in different colors, lightning bolts split the sky as the evil figures appeared. "We did dozens of rehearsals with the Disney teams to find the right tempo and colors to project onto the castle!" said the Coperni duo, ever adept at creating events that generate images that spread like wildfire across social media.

Once the show was over, the 800 or so guests rushed to the attractions that had remained open for the occasion, including the unmissable Space Mountain roller coaster and those dedicated to the character of Buzz Lightyear. Screams of horror mingled with laughter then echoed through the park late into the night.

Maud Gabrielson

Translation of an original article published in French on lemonde.fr; the publisher may only be liable for the French version.