Acne Studios – ‘Ambition to Create Novel Expressions’. Minimalism and clean lines combined with an avant-garde style that harmoniously complements Scandinavian classics. Personally, I really enjoy the restrained aesthetic, often referred to as quiet luxury. If someone wears clothes from Acne Studios, they are either a designer or someone who works in the creative industry and keeps up with trends.
How a Small Creative Experiment Became a Fashion Phenomenon
I find the story behind this brand truly fascinating. It all began when a creative director and co-founder of Acne Studios, Jonny Johansson, who ran his own creative studio, decided to promote his project in a rather unusual way. He created a limited-edition of jeans – just 100 pairs and gave them away to his friends in the fashion industry. People immediately sensed that there was something special about them. The jeans became an instant sensation and fashion magazines started writing about them. That how the brand’s story really began.
Jonny didn’t set out to create a regular luxury brand. His idea was different – to create clothing for people in the creative industries: designers, photographers and editors. For those who shape visual culture, work behind the scenes of the fashion world and at the same time understand its true nature best.
Acne Studios as a Symbol of Scandinavian Style
Over the past 10 years, interest in Europe has grown significantly not only in Scandinavian design and architecture, but also in the Scandinavian lifestyle. In this context, the Acne Studios brand has become one of the symbols of this cultural aesthetic, embodying understated minimalism, intellectual fashion and a contemporary approach to style.
The brand has gained particular popularity in Sweden, where it has become a symbol of Scandinavian style. It also wields significant influence in France, particularly in Paris, where the brand’s collections are regularly showcased during Paris Fashion Week. Its presence in the UK is no less notable, where it is particularly prized by fashion influencers and representatives of the creative industries. I have also noticed that Acne Studios has gained significant popularity in Eastern European countries. I believe its aesthetic naturally resonates with the fashion trends currently shaping the style of major cities such as Kyiv, Warsaw and Vilnius.
Acne Studios at Paris Fashion Week – Fall Winter 2026 Collection
“I have a library in my mind of things that I circle around. It represents the different historic moments, music references or cultural inspirations that feed the collective creation of the brand. Ahead of this show, I was thinking back to 2010, when we made a runway through Lord Snowdon’s apartment in Kensington Palace; it felt disruptive and captured a mood. There’s a gloomy feeling to the interiors today. But then there’s an attitude to these women – who breathe new energy into clothes that began as classic – that highlights our hopeful point of view. Since 1996, many of my obsessions have shaped the world of Acne Studios, yet its heritage represents all of us, and we carry this forward.” – Jonny Johansson.
Given Acne Studio’s popularity in Paris, it’s worth to mention the brand’s latest show during Paris Fashion Week. It stood out not only for its intricate stage design but also for the cohesion of the whole concept – from the venue’s atmosphere to the designs themselves, also the textures and every detail of the collection. Every accessory was thought out in detail and every building block, from the set design to the styling, contributed to a unified artistic vision – a reaffirmation and reinterpretation of the brand’s signature traits.
Acne Studios embraces, reaffirms and revisits its signatures throughout the collection. There’s the leather biker or aviator jacket, mainly cropped, fitted and in punchy hues; jeans are slim and tapered, and the classic 1996 cut is revived; tailored jackets are sharp and can be slung across the body; knits are coordinated as preppy sets. A specific approach to layering puts these garments in conversation. The silhouette is convertible and unrestrictive yet anchored by moments of precision. A particular skirt – traditional in shape and length – becomes a character in itself, an emblem of intellectual femininity made contemporary.
Traditional patterns are reimagined and transformed through the lens of contemporary design. At the same time, they preserve the spirit of tradition, lending the collections depth, individuality and cultural significance. Prince of Wales checks shift in scale, placement and colour – from dusty to darker tones; hortensia motifs in technical satin resemble tapestry and animal patterns are abstracted. Elegant silk scarves are now playfully extra-long in classical motifs and collaged prints. The larger-than-life faces are from Paul Kooiker’s portrait series of art school students, presented at Acne Paper Palais Royal last year. A reminder that Acne Studios is anchored in the idea of creative collective.
The accessories in this collection serve as staples of aesthetic expression, adding character and drama to the looks. They function as bold accents that enhance the silhouette, set the mood of the collection and reveal individuality. The bent pointy toe defines pumps and stretch boots in suede and leather that climb up the legs, some with furry accents. Eyewear puts a streamlined slant on vintage styles with lenses in vivid tones that accentuate the composite character of these women. A new bag shape is structured with a single handle for an eccentric tilt, and the Camero returns in weekender size.
Scenography as a Bridge Between the Past and the Future
From one room to the following one, the show signals memory as architecture, the portals marking what has come before, and what might follow. Here, heritage is not a celebration of the past for its own sake, but a bridge to the future classics of Acne Studios.
Author: Daria Diemidova
