10 things you didn’t know about Acne Studios

The AW25 menswear shows are well underway in Paris, kicking off dramatically last night (Jan 21) with Pharrell’s star-studded Louis Vuitton show in collaboration with Nigo. Today, Acne Studios presented its latest collection which combined 80s varsity-wear with cartoonish cowboys. Next year will mark the brand’s 30th anniversary, so after 29 years in business, there are sure to be a few gaps in your knowledge of the Swedish house. As the new collection is unveiled, here are ten things you may or may not know about Acne Studios.

1. ACNE STANDS FOR ‘ASSOCIATED COMPUTER NERD ENTERPRISES’

To the non-fashion ear, the word ‘acne’ may trigger traumatic teenage years, but to co-founders Jonny Johansson, Mats Johansson, Jesper Kouthoofd and Tomas Skoging, the word was an acronym for ‘Associated Computer Nerd Enterprises’. Acne initially began as a creative collective and advertising agency in 1996, though it wasn’t long before Jonny Johansson branched out and founded the fashion label, Acne Studios. 

While connotations of ‘acne’ don’t exactly conjure images of elegance or luxury, this was deliberate Johansson said, explaining that he hoped to decontextualise the word and give it new meaning. He later switched the acronym for a backronym, standing for ‘Ambition to Create Novel Expressions’.

2. THE BRAND WAS BUILT ON 100 PAIRS OF JEANS 

Acne first caught the attention of the press when, in 1997, Johansson developed 100 pairs of raw denim jeans, complete with instantly identifiable red stitching. But instead of flogging them, the designer gifted the jeans to friends and family, though their international popularity didn’t go unnoticed by Vogue Paris or Wallpaper*, who published stories on the style. The success of Acne denim inspired Johansson to branch out once again, this time expanding far beyond the realms of jeans. Recently, Acne’s denim campaigns have featured the likes of Kylie Jenner and Charli xcx.

3. ACNE PAPER TURNS 20 THIS YEAR

In 2005, Johansson – alongside CEO Mikael Schiller – launched their own ingenious marketing tool, the biannual fashion magazine Acne Paper. Edited by Thomas Persson, the publication was compared by the New York Times to the early days of Andy Warhol’s Interview magazine, and published editorials that left an imprint on all who witnessed them – from Tilda Swinton as Marchesa Casati, to nude images of Leigh Bowery. “There is an organic and authentic quality to Acne Paper,” wrote AnOther Magazine editor-in-chief Susannah Frankel in 2011, “a sense of it extending above and beyond an obviously commercially viable concern, which is genuinely inspiring.”

4. LORD SNOWDON WAS A MEGAFAN

That’s right: the celebrated British photographer and former husband of Princess Margaret, sister of Queen Elizabeth II, was an Acne Studios stan. In fact, in 2012 the photographer collaborated with the brand on Snowdon Blue, a capsule collection of eight blue shirts, plus accompanying limited edition prints and a book. The collab marked the second time Snowdon (AKA Antony Armstrong-Jones) and Acne worked together, following a series of portraits shot for Acne Paper in 2007. Snowdon’s youngest daughter, Lady Frances von Hofmannsthal, first met Thomas Persson at Acne Paper’s editorial office, and together, the two founded Luncheon magazine in 2016.

5. ACNE’S SECOND SHOW WAS AT PRINCESS MARGARET’S FLAT

Weirdly, the Lord Snowdon link develops further. In 2010, Acne Studios presented its first catwalk shows. The second (SS11), took place at Apartment 1A – AKA Princess Margaret’s Kensington Palace lodgings. Images of Margaret adorned the walls, all photographs taken by her former husband Lord Snowdon. Despite the royal insignia, Johansson successfully confused the fashion press, claiming that the collection was “nothing retro, no references”.

6. THE SULKY-FACED LOGO ISN’T ACTUALLY THAT SAD

Now synonymous with the brand, the neutral face logo first appeared on an Acne Studios clutch bag in 2013, before reappearing in 2017 as part of a collection dedicated to the face motif. In Swedish, the face symbolises the word lagom, translating to “just the right amount”, or as Johansson puts it, is representative of the stereotypical Scandinavian citizen, “neither too happy nor too sad.”

7. ALBER ELBAZ WAS A TRUSTED COLLABORATOR

In 2008, Acne collaborated with French couture house Lanvin, which at the time, was under the creative direction of the late designer, Alber Elbaz. The ‘Blue Collection’ was titled for its primary material: denim. The entire collection was made from the finest Italian and Japanese denims. “I asked myself, ‘What kind of jeans can I bring that will be a Lanvin jean and Acne spirit infused in one?’” asked Elbaz at the time.

8. JONNY JOHANSSON ACTUALLY WANTED TO BE A ROCKSTAR

Johansson was born in 1960 to an artist mother and a father who worked in education in the military. He played guitar in his teenage years and fell in and out of several post-punk bands. In an interview from 2018, Johansson claimed to still own over 60 guitars. He has also stated that he has an “unfulfilled desire to be a rock star”. Despite his love of music, Johansson has also said that he has zero desire to be famous – “I don’t like the celebrity aspect of fashion. I have no desire to be a celebrity myself and to have to play a little part,” he told the Guardian.

9. MILLENNIAL PINK WAS INSPIRED BY RUBBISH

Back in 2017, ‘millennial pink’ was dubbed the shade of the era – no doubt helped along by Acne Studios’ recognisable salmon shopping bags. A decade ago, you were certain to find one of the cardboard shoppers lurking in the corner of every cool girl’s bedroom. The hue negated the need for a logo, enough on its own to tell you exactly where someone shops. Though you may recognise the colour, you may not know that it was inspired by a food wrapper discarded on Johansson’s desk. Quite simply, he liked it, and thus millennial pink was born.

10. THE NEW COLLECTION IS INSPIRED BY THE DUALITY OF MAN

Today’s AW25 Acne Studios collection is based on the contrasting sides of the same man. One side is put together – suited and booted if you like – in trompe l’oeil Western motifs, meanwhile the other is the disheveled gym-goer, stepping straight out of the 80s with teeny tiny workout-wear and leg warmers. The words ‘Pink Gym for everyone’ adorn white vests… see you on the treadmill.