June 3, 2022

Acne Studios: The Buyer’s Guide

Nick Matthies

Nick Matthies is an editorial freelancer for StockX.

Swedish Brand Acne Studios, well-known for their high-end denim, runway shows, and quality wardrobe staples, is now available on StockX.

Swedish Brand Acne Studios, well-known for their high-end denim, runway shows, and quality wardrobe staples, is now available on StockX.

This article is part 28 of 33 in the series: StockX Buyer's Guides

No matter your style preferences, Acne Studios is a brand that probably has something for you. Founded as a part of the Swedish creative collective ACNE in 1996 (which was recently acquired by Deloitte in 2017), Acne Studios got their start making 100 custom pairs of jeans with bright red stitching for their friends, family, and “the creative kids” in Stockholm. Since then, Acne Studios has broken off into its own brand and risen to the level of international fashion mainstay, delivering often-colorful boundary bending runway collections while also providing some of the most desired denim and wardrobe staples on the planet. 

Acne Studios River Jeans

 

Over the years, Acne Studios has become most well-known for their denim. The collective’s creative director, Jonny Johansson, has previously remarked that they started with denim because it was an iconic apparel item. Since then, the popularity of their denim has only increased, leading the brand to split their denim off under its own sub-brand, “Blå Konst”, which means “Blue Art” in Swedish. The Swedish brand’s incredibly popular jeans have been spotted on celebrities from Kanye West to Rihanna, further amplifying the influence of Acne Studios’ jeans.

Aside from the denim, Acne Studios’ runway shows have been heralded for their subversive nature, especially as it relates to menswear. Like the rest of the fashion world, collaborative ideas brim at Acne Studios, but unlike the brand’s peers, the partners are rather unorthodox. For instance, in 2020, Acne Studios’ entire Fall/Winter 2020 collection was designed using artificial intelligence with the help of artist Robbie Barrat. And for their Fall/Winter 2018 collection, Creative Director Jonny Johansson enlisted the help of school children to create the season’s collection, asking them to design the clothes they’d like to see and then using that as a point of inspiration. 

If the fact that the brand’s new designs come complete with the co-sign of both little ones and AI doesn’t pique your interest, perhaps their wardrobe staples are more for you. The brand boasts a healthy catalog of minimally branded luxury t-shirts, crewnecks, hoodies, sweaters and more. The brand’s t-shirts are made from a heavyweight organic cotton and feature a ribbed neck that could almost pass for a mock neck. As far as their sweatshirts go, Acne Studios’ crewnecks and hoodies are made from a luxurious 100% cotton material and come in colors like Eucalyptus Green and Powder Pink, one of their signature colors.

 

Who Is Acne Studios Owned By?

Acne Studios’ majority stakeholders have remained the same for quite some time. Creative Director Jonny Johansson has been a majority shareholder of the company since its inception in 1996 and executive chairman Mikael Schiller, the brand’s other majority shareholder, joined the company in 2001. In 2018, two conglomerates, IDG Capital and IT Group, acquired a minority stake in the company, leaving Johansson and Schiller as the majority shareholders.

Acne Studios Socks

What Does Acne Stand for?

When Acne Studios was founded in 1996, its name was conceived as an acronym which originally stood for Associated Computer Nerd Enterprises but was later changed to Ambition to Create Novel Expressions. The name, which is also a skin condition, has received its share of pushback, especially since the brand sits in the luxury space. Acne Studios’ creative director has spoken directly to this in interviews, saying that “he liked the idea of appropriating a difficult word and making it cool.” But the confidence may have waned since then as he’s also said this, “People said it was a weird name, and I agree with them.”

Acne Studios Face Patch Crewneck

What Is the Acne Studios Face Logo?

One of Acne Studios’ most popular and recognizable motifs is the Face logo. Originally released and given its own collection in 2017, the Acne Studios Face logo features two dots over a dash, creating what Jonny Johansson has called the “straightface.” In an interview with Esquire, the Acne Studios Creative Director praises his logo, saying that it “really captures the Swedish man—not too happy, not too sad.” Additionally, Johansson has joked that Acne Studios’ Face logo shares some resemblance to the Comme des Garçons PLAY logo, even remarking that some have thought the Face was a Swedish version of that brand mark.

Did Acne Studios Start the Millennial Pink Trend?

Around 2016, a light shade of pink, officially dubbed Millennial Pink, became all the rage. While it can’t officially be proven or specifically traced back to Acne Studios, it’s very likely that the brand played a significant role in color’s popularity. The brand has their own trademarked shade of pink, which is recognizably used mostly for their merchandise bags but on some apparel as well. Johansson has even made statements about the color and whether or not Acne Studios started it in interviews, “Do I feel responsible for starting something like Millennial Pink?” he asks, without really answering the question. To the brand’s credit, there are at least two pieces touting them for starting the trend from credible outlets like The Times and Guardian.