ACNE STUDIOS

A ,   BRAND AND FASHION DESIGNER

Acne Studios, the avant-garde Swedish brand

Acne Studios is a Swedish brand born in 1996 in Stockholm, Sweden, as a creative collective originally formed by four members. The meaning behind the acronym is ‘Ambition to Create Novel Expressions’.

Acne Studios, exploiting the potential of a denim market evolving towards a new definition of the meaning of five-pocket jeans, conceived a hundred pairs of jeans in 1997. The recognizable feature is an absolutely innovative design and fit and a red label. Initially distributed to family, friends and acquaintances of the four creators, Acne jeans became a phenomenon in vogue in youth and underground cultures. They caught the attention of the Elle Sweden magazine, which published them.

After that, the Swedish monthly magazine awarded Acne with the “Designer of the Year” award in 2000, 2005 and 2008.

Fashion according to Acne Studios

SS21 Collection

The first collection, especially denim and trousers, was born in 1999. Jonny Johansson, the Acne creative director, stated that: “Fashion is the best way to express yourself. We want to create clothes that can form an avant-garde wardrobe but that can also be worn individually “.

An individual philosophy of thought aimed at the leaders, who if united, can create an overall vision of further strength. All members of the Acne collective are independent entities that share the same vision and culture which is expressed through clothing, films, publications and advertising campaigns.

In fact, Acne’s main division is dedicated to clothing, a market in which it’s present with a women’s collection that was exhibited on the London Fashion Week calendar from autumn/winter 2010-2011 and a men’s collection scheduled in Paris from the spring/summer collection 2011.

Brand’s collaborations

The brand includes: Acne Film, specialized in the production of commercials and films among which directors include the likes of Ridley Scott and clients such as Nike, Honda, CocaCola. Acne Advertising independent advertising agency; there is also Acne Digital, a production and consulting agency for the web, Acne Jr for the distribution and production of toys and concepts for the little ones, and also the collective’s activities. ACNE Paper, the bi-annual magazine created to communicate the aesthetics and philosophy behind Acne. A large-format publication distributed and sold in the best newsstands and concept stores in the world in which true stories, original experiences and creative processes are told.

In 2008 the Swedish brand collaborated with Lanvin and designer Alber Elbaz for an exclusive co-branding project. This project led to the creation of a couture jeans line which achieved global communication and sales success. After fifteen years of constant growth, the brand now employs over two hundred people and has single-brand stores in Stockholm, Copenhagen, Berlin, Oslo. But also in Paris, Amsterdam, Hamburg and in overseas cities such as New York and Sydney.

New decade for Acne Studios

In 2012, the denimwear brand is estimated at 100 million euros. The same year it arrived in London with its second freestanding, expanding even more in 2013 managing to open a store in Los Angeles with a space of 500 square meters.

2014, on the other hand, marked a collection of underwear in super-fine feather cotton, for men and women. The following year, the Swedish brand debuted both with an eyewear collection of sunglasses and with its first collection of bags, including a selection of made in Italy products.

Recent years

Acne Studios presented a limited edition of furnishing accessories in 2018 created by reinterpreting precious accessories such as the classic scarves of the Swedish brand. At the same time, the brand expanded its horizons by launching a sportswear capsule collection named Fotbollsklubb (soccer team in Swedish) inspired by the football uniforms of the 60s and 70s.

Acne StudiosFotbollsklubb

Acne Studios sold 41% of the company to IDG Capital and I.T Group. Significantly, the Swedish brand had commissioned Goldman Sachs to find a buyer a long time before. During 2018 the brand decided to do a fashion show during the Parisian haute couture week

Acne StudiosCollaboration with Ben Quinn

In 2021, Los Angeles-based artist Ben Quinn collaborated with Acne Studios to create a capsule of three Musubi bags in a super limited edition. Quinn had already collaborated for some items of the spring-summer 2021 collection, but this time Quinn personalized nothing but the iconic Musubi, the historic It-bag of the house famous for its essential lines and for the bands inspired by the Japanese obi. 

Moreover, in 2021, Acne launched a volume that celebrated the works from the archive of the Acne Paper magazine, published from 2005 to 2014. Curated by Thomas Persson, the edition includes interviews with Azzedine Alaïa, Isabelle Huppert, Alejandro Jodorowsky and David Lynch among others, as well as contributions from legendary photographers such as David Bailey, Saul Leiter, Irvin Penn and Paolo Roversi.

Women’s spring summer collection 2022

Acne Studios brought the architecture of the dress to the stage with the Spring Summer 2022 women’s collection. The show presented during the Paris Fashion Week, on the notes of the new musical composition SMOKEBENDING by Arca. It is a celebration of the Jonny Johansson universe. A new femininity, free to experiment with hollowed out corsets worn backwards, transparent organza suits and jumpsuits in knitted knitwear. The patterns of the garments are destroyed to be reassembled: jackets become skirts, corsets become tops and sweaters become miniskirts. The socks stretch to the knee and close with the typical corset-style crossover closure and are worn with maxi platform sandals. Frayed laces, drawstring with bottlenecks, hanging cords, deconstructed tapes and fringes. Everything is elaborated with the creative practice of Jonny Johansson. A deliberately unfinished collection with the intention of enhancing the creative process of construction and ultimately of packaging.

Acne Studios

Collaborations

The brand includes: Acne Film, specialized in producing commercials and films with directors like Ridley Scott and clients such as Nike, Honda, and Coca-Cola; Acne Advertising, an independent advertising agency; Acne Digital, an agency for web production and consulting; Acne Jr, focused on the distribution and production of toys and concepts for children; and lastly, ACNE Paper, the bi-annual publication created to communicate Acne’s founding aesthetics and philosophy. This large-format publication is distributed and sold in the best newsstands and concept stores worldwide, featuring true stories, original experiences, and creative processes.

In 2008, the Swedish brand collaborated with Lanvin and designer Alber Elbaz on an exclusive co-branding project. This project resulted in a couture jeans line that achieved global success in both communication and sales. After fifteen years of steady growth, the brand now employs over two hundred people and has flagship stores in Stockholm, Copenhagen, Berlin, Oslo, as well as in Paris, Amsterdam, Hamburg, and international cities like New York and Sydney.

The New Decade for Acne Studios

In 2012, the denimwear brand was valued at 100 million euros. That same year, it expanded to London with its second freestanding store, further expanding in 2013 by opening a 500-square-meter store in Los Angeles.

In 2014, Acne Studios launched a collection of super-premium cotton feather underwear for men and women. The following year, the Swedish brand debuted both a sunglasses eyewear collection and its first handbag collection, which included a selection of products made in Italy.

Recent Years

In 2018, Acne Studios presented a limited edition of home accessories created by reinterpreting the brand’s classic scarves. At the same time, the brand expanded its horizons by launching a sportswear capsule collection named Fotbollsklubb (which means football club in Swedish), inspired by 1960s and 1970s football uniforms.

Acne Studios sold 41% of the company to IDG Capital and I.T Group, having previously tasked Goldman Sachs with finding a buyer. Also in 2018, the brand decided to showcase its collection during Paris Haute Couture Week.

In 2021, Los Angeles artist Ben Quinn collaborated with Acne Studios to create a super limited edition capsule of three Musubi bags. Quinn had previously collaborated on some pieces for the spring-summer 2021 collection, but this time he personalized the iconic Musubi, a historic It-bag of the maison known for its clean lines and straps inspired by the Japanese obi.

Acne Studios customized Musubi bag x Ben Quinn

Also in 2021, Acne launched a volume celebrating works from the archive of Acne Paper, published from 2005 to 2014. Curated by Thomas Persson, the edition includes interviews with Azzedine Alaïa, Isabelle Huppert, Alejandro Jodorowsky, and David Lynch, among others, as well as contributions from legendary photographers like David Bailey, Saul Leiter, Irvin Penn, and Paolo Roversi.

Spring/Summer 2022 Women’s Collection

With its Spring/Summer 2022 women’s collection, Acne Studios showcases the architecture of clothing. The runway show, presented during Paris Fashion Week to the tune of Arca’s new composition SMOKEBENDING, celebrates Jonny Johansson’s universe. It features a new femininity, free to experiment with inverted and hollowed-out corsets, transparent organza suits, and unraveled knit jumpsuits. Garment patterns are deconstructed and recomposed: jackets become skirts, corsets become tops, and sweaters transform into miniskirts. Stockings extend to the knee and close with a signature criss-cross bustier closure, paired with maxi platform sandals. The collection features frayed laces, cinched drawstrings, dangling cords, deconstructed ribbons, and fringes. Everything is crafted with Jonny Johansson’s creative practice, presenting a deliberately unfinished collection to highlight the creative process of construction and final tailoring.

Read also

Paris Fashion Week: Acne Studios and its futuristic collection

Preview

Anouska Hempel