Acne Studios Fall / Winter 2023
It was a lush affair at the Acne Studios Fall / Winter 2023 runway at Paris Fashion Week. Founder and creative director Johnny Johannson is best known for his modernist designs that reflect his own Swedish origins. Yet, the runway in Paris was akin to a haunted forest. Models walked on gravel and strode through a tree centerpiece decorated with glowing jewels. A regal trumpet hummed beneath fast-paced music.
Johansson describes himself as a structured maximalist and often adopts in his work the environmentalism present in Swedish design. This philosophy was obvious in the latest collection which borrowed everything from the texture and color of nature.
Acne Studios: The Collection
First, a slinky number stitched together using leaf prints and lace up thigh highs opened the show. Next, structured leather pieces follow, a beat up cream and black with pale outlines. Johannson uses texture and pattern in a way that still feels contemporary. A grungy leather jacket is paired with a black dress with multiple split hems. The cut, worn down, suggests danger or excitement but at its core, it’s a simple black dress and leather jacket.
Beautiful coats that envelope the figure and consist of a shawl which conceals but does not overwhelm are next. A classic knit Acne piece, they ground the collection so it does not feel like a different label altogether.
But, what is most impressive is Johannson’s experimentation with texture. He plays with the malleability of his materials and molds them to be just about anything. There is a chunky asymmetrical sweater that doubles as a dress. Or a lime green full length with ridges resembles a tree bark. Then, a perforated dress with a fibrous texture has the feel of a forest fairy.
A deconstructed mulberry two-piece made from flower print closes the show. It calls back to the opening look and a rare display of color in the entire collection.
Take a look at some highlights of the show:
All Images Via Kendam
Featured Image Via Kendam