Denim and leather form the bedrock upon which Acne Studios has thrived since its inception in the late 1990s. Backstage today, Jonny Johansson candidly revealed his occasional hunger for alternative design avenues—declaring, ‘I need something else. I crave it!’ This desire led to the inclusion of tailoring, knitwear, accessories, and other categories in Acne’s lexicon. Yet, denim and leather remain the wellspring of inspiration.

In today’s collection, Johansson revisited these foundational materials, constructing a more expansive Acne universe. His creative impetus drew from two works: ‘Chairs in Rubber’ by Estonian artist Villu Jaanisoo. These chairs, crafted from recycled tires sliced into strips and transformed into vaguely ominous, oversized thrones, left an indelible mark. Some runway guests even perched on scaled-down versions of these intriguing seats. Jaanisoo’s ‘mechanical treatment’ of objects designed to envelop the human form catalyzed the innovative approach to the garments showcased tonight.

Denim, one of Acne’s twin pillars, underwent processes like spraying or soaking to achieve a range of effects—rusty, oily, or metallic surface sheens. Mechanised, it found expression in high-collared truckers, jeans, full-length trucker-shirt dresses, and strapless dresses. These treatments echoed in the matte, paint-like coating applied to thick rib-knit dresses.

Leather took centre stage in two distinct ways. Firstly, generously gathered bodies and dresses, crafted from supple hides reminiscent of saddlery, were adorned with wide zippers—a nod to handbag hardware. This interplay extended beyond accessories, with bag straps accentuating shoes and padlocks doubling as earrings and necklace embellishments. The result was a cross-category fusion that blurred boundaries.

The second leather narrative unfolded through three dresses, their rigid structure contrasting sharply with the softness of the zippered pieces. These garments were meticulously shaped through repeated wetting, pre-molded to embrace the wearer’s form. Their sculptural quality found further expression in printed dresses featuring a renaissance winged cherub motif.

Johansson’s ensemble also featured robust, voluminous coats in Icelandic shearling and faux furs. Meanwhile, skin-tight, zippered bodysuits and lightweight ribbed-knit base layers exuded a subtly daring, automotive allure. In contrast, elegantly flared bodices on two dresses allowed skirts to cascade gracefully. As Johansson aptly put it, sometimes you crave collision—his curated collection delivered precisely that.