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Acne Studios is a multidisciplinary luxury
fashion Fashion is a term used interchangeably to describe the creation of clothing, footwear, Fashion accessory, accessories, cosmetics, and jewellery of different cultural aesthetics and their mix and match into Clothing, outfits that depict distinct ...
house based in
Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...
,
Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...
that specializes in men's and women's
ready-to-wear Ready-to-wear (RTW)also called ''prêt-à-porter'', or off-the-rack or off-the-peg in casual useis the term for garments sold in finished condition in standardized sizes, as distinct from made-to-measure or bespoke clothing tailored to a partic ...
fashion, footwear, accessories and denim. When founded in 1996, the label derived its name from the creative collective ACNE; initially an acronym for ''Associated Computer Nerd Enterprises'' and later a
backronym A backronym is an acronym formed from an already existing word by expanding its letters into the words of a phrase. Backronyms may be invented with either serious or humorous intent, or they may be a type of false etymology or folk etymology. The ...
of ''Ambition to Create Novel Expressions''. Founder and Creative Director Jonny Johannson's interest in photography, art, architecture and contemporary culture is reflected in the brand's clothing, publications, furniture, exhibitions and special collaborations.


History

Acne Studios was founded in 1996 in Stockholm, Sweden as part of the creative collective ACNE that focused on
graphic design Graphic design is a profession, academic discipline and applied art that involves creating visual communications intended to transmit specific messages to social groups, with specific objectives. Graphic design is an interdisciplinary branch of ...
, film, production and advertising. In 1997, cofounder Jonny Johansson created 100 pairs of raw denim jeans with red stitching and gave them away to friends and family. '' Wallpaper*'' and ''
Vogue Paris ''Vogue France'' (stylised in all caps) is the French edition of '' Vogue'' magazine, formerly called ''Vogue Paris'' from its inception until 2021. The magazine started publication in 1920 and has since been regarded as one of the top fashion ...
'' quickly picked up on the popularity of the jeans and Acne Studios rapidly expanded their fashion offering outside of denim. In 2006, Acne Studios became a standalone company and separated from other entities within the collective ACNE such as Acne Film, Acne Advertising and Acne Digital, at the same time launching their e-commerce operation. Since launching, Acne Studios has grown into a global fashion house with retail stores around the world including
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
,
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
,
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...
,
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
,
Antwerp Antwerp (; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of Antwerp Province, and the third-largest city in Belgium by area at , after ...
and
Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...
, offering women's and men's ready-to-wear collections, showing at
Paris Fashion Week Paris Fashion Week (, commonly ) is a series of designer presentations held semi-annually in Paris, France, with spring/summer and autumn/winter events held each year. Dates are determined by the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode. Pa ...
twice a year and turning over $215 million annually in 2016. In December 2018
IDG Capital IDG Capital is an investment and asset management firm, headquartered in Beijing, that specializes in venture capital, private equity, and mergers & acquisitions. History The firm, founded in 1992, was an early investor of Baidu, Tencent, Xiaomi, ...
and I.T Group acquired stakes of 30.1% and 10.9% respectively, from the investment companies Creades, Öresund and PAN Capital. Jonny Johansson and the executive chairman Mikael Schiller remained as majority shareholders. The company rejected a takeover offer, for example by Kering, for years. At the end of 2018, the Chinese investment company IDG Capital and the Hong Kong fashion company IT acquired 30.1% and 10.9% of the company's shares from Investment AB Öresund, Creades, and Pan Capital, respectively. However, Mikael Schiller and Jonny Johansson remained majority shareholders. In 2019, the company moved its headquarters from Gamla stan (Lilla Nygatan 23) to Floragatan 13 (''Granen 21'') in Stockholm, the former Czechoslovak embassy building. Acne creative director Jonny Johansson and many other designers were involved in the redesign of the listed brutalist building, designed by Jan Bočan. In the 2019/20 financial year, there were 60 Acne Studios boutiques worldwide, including several shops-in-shops in larger department stores, such as Galeries Lafayette and Shinsegae. The company supplies around 800 retailers and online retailers worldwide, employing over 700 people. Acne's annual sales amounted to 2.34 billion kroner, equivalent to over 200 million euros.


Products

Acne Studios design men's and women's ready-to-wear fashion, footwear, denim, and accessories including handbags, small leather goods, and eyewear. Acne Studios stages runway fashion shows for its women's Fall/Winter and Spring/Summer collections twice a year. On April 6, 2017, Acne Studios relaunched its denim collection under the name Acne Studios Blå Konst (meaning "Blue Art" in Swedish) at all of their retail locations and on Acnestudios.com. This launch consists of men's and women's ready-to-wear, jeans, and accessories. In addition, an Acne Studios Blå Konst pop-up shop located in Tokyo's Shibuya district was opened to showcase the launch, which it houses exclusively. Six new denim styles including the North, River, and Land for men and the Climb, South, and Log for women have replaced the range of existing denim products. While these jean styles are permanent, the Blå Konst ready-to-wear collection will be updated seasonally. On August 17, 2017, Acne Studios launched its Face motif collection, featuring patches of an emoticon face with two small circles and a long rectangle. Having first been introduced in their Autumn/Winter 2013 collection as a clutch, the face motif was featured in a unisex collection of ready-to-wear and accessories.


Marketing

Acne Studios avoids traditional forms of marketing and advertising, choosing instead to publish a biannual magazine called '' Acne Paper''. ''Acne Paper'' covers the disciplines of art, fashion, photography, design, architecture, academia, and culture. Each issue is based around a theme that is interpreted by selected contributors from their field of expertise. Contributors to ''Acne Paper'' have included Carine Roitfeld,
Noam Chomsky Avram Noam Chomsky (born December 7, 1928) is an American professor and public intellectual known for his work in linguistics, political activism, and social criticism. Sometimes called "the father of modern linguistics", Chomsky is also a ...
,
David Lynch David Keith Lynch (January 20, 1946 – January 16, 2025) was an American filmmaker, visual artist, musician, and actor. Widely considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, Lynch was often called a "visionary" and received acclaim f ...
,
Lord Snowdon Antony Charles Robert Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon (7 March 1930 – 13 January 2017) was a British photographer. He is best known internationally for his portraits of world notables, many of them published in ''Vogue (magazine), Vogu ...
,
Azzedine Alaïa Azzedine Alaïa (; , ; 26 February 1935 – 18 November 2017) was a Tunisian couturier and shoe designer. He became globally known particularly beginning in the 1980s for his women's dresses and he would dress numerous celebrities throughout his ...
,
Mario Testino Mario Eduardo Testino Silva Order of the British Empire, OBE Royal Photographic Society#Distinctions and qualifications, HonFRPS (born 30 October 1954) is a Peruvian fashion and portrait photographer. His work has featured internationally in ...
, Sarah Moon,
Tilda Swinton Katherine Matilda Swinton (born 5 November 1960) is a British actress. She is known for playing eccentric and enigmatic characters, often working with auteurs. Her accolades include an Academy Award, two BAFTA Awards, and a Volpi Cup, in addit ...
and Paolo Roversi. The eighteenth issue was published in 2023. In 2021, a more comprehensive and longer issue was published under the name “Acne paper book”.


Campaigns

In September 2016, Acne Studios announced its Fall/Winter 2016 campaign, shot by British photographer David Sims. The series was photographed in three parts, and each was presented globally- from posters plastered on the walls during
Paris Fashion Week Paris Fashion Week (, commonly ) is a series of designer presentations held semi-annually in Paris, France, with spring/summer and autumn/winter events held each year. Dates are determined by the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode. Pa ...
and Hong Kong's Golden week, on streetcars in Milan, and to digital images at London's Harrods. For the Spring/Summer 2017 campaign, Paolo Roversi shot a portrait series featuring creatives around the world, such as
Golshifteh Farahani Rahavard Farahani (; born 10 July 1983), known professionally as Golshifteh Farahani (), is an Iranian and French actress. She is known for her performances in '' M for Mother'' (2006), '' Body of Lies'' (2008), ''About Elly'' (2009), ''The Pat ...
,
Fatima Al Qadiri Fatima Al Qadiri (; born July 1981) is a Senegalese-born Kuwaiti musician and conceptual artist. Biography Fatima Al Qadiri is the daughter of Mohammed Al Qadiri, a former Kuwaiti diplomat and writer, and Thuraya Al-Baqsami, an artist and writ ...
, and Hayv Kahraman. The photography series was exhibited outdoors in New York, Paris, Milan, and Hong Kong. For the introduction of Acne Studios Blå Konst, Collier Schorr shot the campaign featured on the homepage of AcneStudios.com. These photographs launched online along with the new products on April 6, 2017.


Collaborations

Acne Studios has collaborated widely with representatives from the creative industries to produce limited edition collections. Some examples include a range of bikes with the world's oldest bike manufacturer Bianchi Bicycles, a furniture line of sofas based on Swedish designer
Carl Malmsten Carl Malmsten (December 7, 1888 – August 13, 1972) was a Sweden, Swedish furniture designer, architect, and educator who was known for his devotion to traditional Swedish craftmanship (''slöjd'') and his opposition to Functionalism (architec ...
’s sofa Nya Berlin, a capsule collection with couture house Lanvin, an art installation and a collection with artist
Katerina Jebb Katerina Jebb (born 15 November 1962) is a British-born artist, photographer and film-maker. She has previously lived and worked in Los Angeles, California. In 1989, Katerina Jebb moved to Paris. Katerina Jebb's work is the subject of an exhib ...
, a cross-gender blouse collection with transsexual magazine ''Candy'', an art book and blue shirt line with
Lord Snowdon Antony Charles Robert Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon (7 March 1930 – 13 January 2017) was a British photographer. He is best known internationally for his portraits of world notables, many of them published in ''Vogue (magazine), Vogu ...
, limited edition prints with William Wegman, a rodeo-themed book and capsule collection inspired by Bruce of Los Angeles, a collection based around artworks by abstract Swedish pioneer
Hilma af Klint Hilma af Klint (; 26 October 1862 – 21 October 1944) was a Swedish artist and mysticism, mystic whose paintings are considered among the first major Abstract art, abstract works in Western art history. A considerable body of her work predates t ...
, and a capsule collection with Liberty London. More recent collaborations include a limited-edition monograph and unisex silk pajama collection with American sculptor Peter Schlesinger, small leather goods monogrammed with Jack Pierson's custom lettering, and a custom rug collection for Acne Studios' Madison Ave. location designed by British designer Max Lamb and Swedish rug company Kasthall. In 2018, Acne Studios collaborated with another Sweden-based, outdoor gear and clothing company, Fjällräven, creating a clothing and accessories collection. In 2019, Acne Studios released capsule clothing collections made in collaboration with Starter Black Label and with
NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...
player
Russell Westbrook Russell Westbrook III (born November 12, 1988) is an American professional basketball player for the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A point guard, Westbrook made his NBA debut in 2008 and became a star as a member o ...
. In 2020, Acne Studios released a capsule clothing collection featuring artwork from Monster in My Pocket.


Publications

In 2012, Acne Studios and photographer Lord Snowdon collaborated to launch Acne Studios' first published book: ''Snowdon Blue''. The publication included Snowdon's portraits of
David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer, songwriter and actor. Regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Bowie was acclaimed by critics and musicians, pa ...
,
Serge Gainsbourg Serge Gainsbourg (; born Lucien Ginsburg; 2 April 1928 – 2 March 1991) was a French singer-songwriter, actor, composer, and director. Regarded as one of the most important figures in French pop, he was renowned for often provocative rel ...
,
Manolo Blahnik Manuel "Manolo" Blahnik Rodríguez (; born 27 November 1942) is a Spanish fashion designer and founder of the eponymous high-end shoe brand. Biography Blahnik was born in Santa Cruz de la Palma, in the Canary Islands (Spain), to a Czech father ...
and more, all dressed in blue shirts. A limited-edition collection of 8 styles of blue button-ups alluding to the book's visuals were also created and sold both in-store and online. Acne Studios' second photography book, ''Bruce of Los Angeles: Rodeo,'' presents photographer
Bruce Bellas Bruce Harry Bellas (July 7, 1909 – July 1974) was an American photographer. He was influential in his work with male physiques and nudes. Bellas was well known under the pseudonym Bruce of Los Angeles. History and influence Bruce Harry Bellas ...
' shots of American cowboys. In addition, Jonny Johannson designed a collection of western-themed tops, jeans, and boots to embody the classic American theme. ''Peter Schlesinger Sculpture'' was released by Acne Studios in conjunction with a capsule collection of silk loungewear on April 29, 2015. The book features photos of over 150 of American sculptor Peter Schlesinger's works since the 1980s, and was shot by Eric Boman. The monograph's photos were accompanied by Swedish text and printed on Japanese paper. The Spring/Summer 2017 campaign, shot by Paolo Roversi, was also released as a limited-edition publication and featured interviews of those photographed.


Stores

Acne Studios has retail locations around the world including
Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...
,
Gothenburg Gothenburg ( ; ) is the List of urban areas in Sweden by population, second-largest city in Sweden, after the capital Stockholm, and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated by the Kattegat on the west coast of Sweden, it is the gub ...
,
Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...
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Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...
,
Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...
,
Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...
,
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...
,
San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
,
Las Vegas Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
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Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
,
Miami Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...
,
Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...
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Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...
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Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...
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Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
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Antwerp Antwerp (; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of Antwerp Province, and the third-largest city in Belgium by area at , after ...
,
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
,
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
,
Oslo Oslo ( or ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of 1,064,235 in 2022 ...
,
Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...
,
Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...
,
Nagoya is the largest city in the Chūbu region of Japan. It is the list of cities in Japan, fourth-most populous city in Japan, with a population of 2.3million in 2020, and the principal city of the Chūkyō metropolitan area, which is the List of ...
,
Seoul Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...
,
Chengdu Chengdu; Sichuanese dialects, Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: ; Chinese postal romanization, previously Romanization of Chinese, romanized as Chengtu. is the capital city of the Chinese province of Sichuan. With a ...
,
Beijing Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...
, and
Shanghai Shanghai, Shanghainese: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the ...
. The Stockholm flagship store on
Norrmalmstorg Norrmalmstorg () is a town square in central Stockholm, Sweden. It connects shopping streets Hamngatan and Biblioteksgatan and is the starting point for tram travellers with the Djurgården line. Close to the southwest is the park Kungsträdg ...
was the location of the 1973 bank robbery and subsequent hostage situation that gave rise to the term
Stockholm syndrome Stockholm syndrome is a proposed condition or theory that tries to explain why hostages sometimes develop a psychological bond with their captors. Emotional bonds can possibly form between captors and captives, during intimate time together, ...
for the psychological phenomenon in which hostages express empathy and sympathy toward their captors.


References


External links

* {{Official website, http://www.acnestudios.com
Acne Group official site

Acne Studios Environmental Strategy

KEX :High fashion brand trade mark.UKIPO 00002252197
Companies based in Stockholm Clothing brands of Stockholm Clothing companies of Sweden Luxury brands Swedish brands Swedish fashion Clothing companies established in 1996 Swedish companies established in 1996 Privately held companies of Sweden 1990s establishments in Stockholm