it was the summer of 2024 when I first encountered the Coperni Swipe bag. i was out with friends, wandering through designer stores and soaking up inspiration from luxury brands. there it was: a sleek, oval-shaped silhouette tucked neatly on a display shelf. its minimalist design, inspired by the iPhone’s “swipe to unlock” icon, immediately caught my eye. crafted from Italian calf leather, the bag was both understated and futuristic—a perfect balance of form and function. i fell in love instantly.

the Swipe bag, priced at €620, has become a modern classic since its debut. its large size and curved shape make it a versatile accessory. available in colors like clay and black, it’s the kind of bag that whispers luxury rather than shouting it. but as I would later discover, the Swipe bag is more than just a pretty face. over the past years, Coperni has taken this iconic design and pushed it into uncharted territory, creating limited-edition versions that blur the line between fashion and technology.

from leather to tech: the cd-player swipe bag

in late 2023, Coperni unveiled a new iteration of the Swipe bag: the CD-Player Swipe Bag. yes, you read that right—a handbag that doubles as a functioning CD player. inspired by the early 2000s Sony Walkman, this version of the Swipe bag features a sleek silver frame, a grayscale screen with skip and play/pause buttons, and even a set of wired headphones. it’s 3D-printed in Paris and comes with a rechargeable USB-C battery. of course it does.

the CD-Player Swipe Bag is a love letter to Y2K nostalgia with a modern twist. it’s part of a growing trend of “fashion-meets-function” accessories, following in the footsteps of Louis Vuitton’s Horizon Speaker Bag and Balenciaga’s Speaker Bag. while those bags leaned into Bluetooth tech, Coperni’s CD-Player Swipe Bag takes a more analog approach, tapping into the tactile joy of popping in a CD and hitting play. it’s impractical, sure, but that’s the point. it’s a statement piece, a conversation starter, and a reminder that fashion doesn’t always have to make sense—it just has to make you feel something.

enter the air swipe: a bag made of stardust

if the CD-Player Swipe Bag wasn’t futuristic enough, Coperni took things to another level with the Air Swipe Bag, unveiled during Paris Fashion Week in early 2024. this bag isn’t just light—it’s made of literal air. crafted from silica aerogel, a material developed by NASA to “catch stardust,” the Air Swipe Bag is 99% air and weighs just 35 grams. its translucent blue shell looks like something out of a sci-fi movie, but it’s surprisingly durable, capable of withstanding heat up to 1,200 degrees Celsius and pressure 4,000 times its weight.

the Air Swipe Bag is less of a practical accessory and more of an art piece. it’s a collaboration between Coperni and Greek researcher Ioannis Michaloudis, who has worked with NASA for decades. the bag represents the intersection of science and fashion, a physical manifestation of the “in-between space” where art and technology collide. It’s delicate yet strong, ethereal yet grounded—a paradox in handbag form.

conclusion: the swipe bag’s legacy

from its humble beginnings as a leather accessory inspired by an iPhone icon to its evolution into a CD player and a bag made of stardust, the Coperni Swipe Bag has proven itself to be more than just a trend. it’s a symbol of how fashion can push boundaries, blending nostalgia, innovation, and artistry into something truly unique.

would I still love to own the original leather Swipe Bag? absolutely. but there’s something undeniably exciting about a brand that dares to dream beyond practicality. after all, who says a bag can’t play music or catch stardust?