Acne Studios, Menswear FW24

Inspiration

An ode to Denim culture: rebellious, sexy, cool. The modern cyber biker. Menswear motorbike archetypes subverted with a kitsch cuteness. Neons clash with classic biker and grunge details, mixing with psychedelic prints inspired by rave and club culture. “Denim, inherently, has a rebellious aura. It’s provocative, it’s rugged.” says Jonny Johansson, Creative Director, Acne Studios

Yves Tumor

Acne Studios shot American musician Yves Tumor for the collection imagery. The artist constantly shifts, alters and plays with the boundaries of contemporary music, art, culture and aesthetic. “Yves felt just right for the collection, they are one of those people who are true to their art. When they are on stage, it’s incomparable, it’s hard to find real performances like that. It feels scary and lovely at the same time. They also embody the space age, cyber psychedelic vision and at the same time they are super rock. The way they pull a look together feels very in the spirit of the collection. On the shoot, it was brilliant, it felt completely different all the time, downtown/uptown, low-tech/high-tech, scary and cute, all at once. Yves has all these different sides, which to me, represents what a true rebel is: a person you want to be, who doesn’t give a shit but makes immaculate choices.” says Jonny Johansson.

Colour palette

Black with pops of neon: pink, green, purple, and orange. Blue in denim. Sweetness and softness in pastel colours. Pink in all shades dominates this season.

How its worn

Contrasted proportions: low-waisted, high-waisted, skin-tight and oversized. Micro tank tops and cropped shearling jackets juxtaposed with maxi boots and ultra-baggy denim. The look is layered, worn with individuality and playful experimentation. There is a sporty ski element in the styling, straps hang off the body adding length and functionality. Denim silhouettes are updated: a round shape inspired by the early 2000s and a low-waist flared trumpet leg, meant to drag around the foot.

Fabrics

Hard vs. soft. Biker fabrics such as leather and denim are reimagined and elevated, contrasted with fluffy faux fur and delicate voile. Denim gets an oily and worn-in feel with a yellow desert wash, and paint marks for an authentic look, and adorned with embroideries, sprayed-on graphics and firemen hooks cinching the waist.

Prints

An overload of prints, mixed and matched unexpectedly: cyber psychedelic designs meet biker and punk codes with belts, tartan, angels, camouflage. Trompe l’oeil prints of Acne Studios necklaces on t-shirts, subverting the idea of jewellery. Trompe l’oeil bow print on denim. Photographs of delicate flowers by longtime collaborator Carlijn Jacobs appear as prints on fluid shirts.

Graphics

Traditional motorbike graphics are subverted with a kitsch cuteness: spray paint angel wings meet prints of AI-generated cats. The Acne Studios logo is transformed into a chaotic scribbling and a cyber futuristic logo, elsewhere the ‘AS’ initials take the shape of a heart. Staples punctuate garments. Mini bows are discreetly embroidered on a classic shirt for a playful touch. Our iconic denim button as a print is found on caps and jersey pieces. The signature AS bow label appears on several garments.

Accessories

Fluffy faux fur hats with cat ears, mittens and scarves inspired by Kawaii street-style culture. Mohair hairy yarn is found in a new squared beanie shape and in mitts and scarves, adding a fuzzy element.

Footwear

Voluminous footwear. Knee-high shearling maxi boots in tan and in a denim trompe l’oeil print on suede. Maxi mules inspired by motorcycle boots. Black derbies with a turned-up toe.

Bags

Extremes meet: micro-sized vs maxi-sized. Trompe l’oeil totes are covered with keychains and charms, whilst the Platt bag is updated with studs, heart charms and pink detailing. A new Musubi model with chain straps is introduced and the Multipocket is reinvented in pink with a foiled shiny finish. New monogram handbag and backpack in black nylon with buckles and metallic bows.

Barbara Braghin