This Is Acne Studios, But Not As You Know It

When you think of Acne Studios, the first thing that comes to mind is how it epitomizes Swedish simplicity. For its men’s Fall/Winter 2021 collection, founder and creative director Jonny Johansson wanted to explore something new and refreshing, but ultimately making it Acne Studios nonetheless. The result is reflective of the times we live in: smart-causal, loose tailoring, indoor-outdoor, transitional, multifunctional, and much more.

It’s a collection for dressing up for yourself or hanging out with others in. Regardless of the occasion, it should feel special. As Johannson says, “This is a wardrobe that brings together the relaxed silhouette of sports casual with the tailored glamour from my dream of life in a band. It is menswear that is functional and minimal, with humor, sexiness, and lightness.”

The results are just that: light and playful, somehow quintessentially Acne Studios, littered with sexiness and something more daring than ever seen from the brand before. For example, a coat and a full suit, as well as some accessories such as gloves and a light scarf, are printed over and over manically to create this blurred and busy Acne Studios logo repeat pattern, that from afar looks like tire tracks over the cotton base and is only visible up-close-and-personal, making the whole experience special as we’re rarely up-close nowadays.

Elsewhere, traditional elements of the brand such as its scarves are elevated and playful. Fall/Winter 2020 brought us gorgeously chunky knits with pastels and checks, but FW21 contrasts this and takes on a modern approach with its cold dyed inside-out padded organic jersey cotton logo-branded scarf.

Comfy retro vibes are explored with looks such as the tie-dyed pants and top worn with a brown leather jacket, and also with the faux fur jacket worn with baggy sweatpants that feature pattern-exposing cut-outs. Additionally, the houses’ collaborator Robbie Barrat has developed prints that rework classical imagery appearing on oversized wool mohair jackets and tailored trousers, while more archived imagery appears on pieces such as the lunchbox-esque bucket bag.

For Acne Studios’ FW21 collection, it truly is look after look. Continuing to discuss the themes of the collection, Johannson adds, “The wardrobe of pieces has a looseness of silhouette that comes from a sport casual look, particularly golf. I have a lot of memories of golf from my grandparents and my dad’s family, who all played golf. But this isn’t a golf collection — it’s very much through Acne Studios’ eyes. I also have an unfulfilled desire to be a rock star, and that tailored glam is in the collection too. I was also thinking about archetypes that make up this wardrobe of pieces. It’s not about trying to make the perfect archetype, it’s more about exploring garments with a sense of playfulness.”

Take a look at the Acne Studios men’s FW21 collection above, and expect it to land in stores and online in the coming months.

In other news, here is how you can live-stream Burberry’s FW21 menswear show later today.