Acne Studios
A Stockholm-based Swedish luxury fashion house known for contemporary ready-to-wear, denim, footwear, accessories, and art-led cultural collaborations.
Last updated August 21, 2026
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Overview
Acne Studios is a Swedish luxury fashion house headquartered in Stockholm. Founded in 1996 by designer Jonny Johansson, it developed from the multidisciplinary ACNE creative collective into an independent international fashion company. The name originally referred to Associated Computer Nerd Enterprises and was later reinterpreted as Ambition to Create New Expressions. The collective worked across graphic design, film, advertising, production, and digital projects; fashion became its most internationally visible activity. The label’s early breakthrough came through denim. In 1997, Johansson produced a small run of raw denim jeans distinguished by red stitching and distributed pairs to friends and family. The jeans attracted attention from fashion publications including Wallpaper* and Vogue Paris, helping the company expand beyond its initial denim focus. Acne Studios subsequently built a full assortment of men’s and women’s ready-to-wear, denim, footwear, handbags, small leather goods, eyewear, and other accessories. Its design identity combines Scandinavian clarity with unconventional proportions, expressive color, streetwear references, and a willingness to treat fashion as part of a wider cultural practice. Johansson’s interests in photography, art, architecture, furniture, publishing, and contemporary culture have influenced both the products and the brand’s communications. Rather than relying only on conventional advertising, Acne Studios has used magazines, photography books, exhibitions, installations, runway presentations, and collaborations with artists and designers to create a broader cultural context around its collections. Acne Studios became a standalone company in 2006, separating from other ACNE businesses and launching its e-commerce operation. It then expanded through directly operated boutiques, department-store concessions, wholesale accounts, and online retail. The company presents women’s and men’s seasonal collections at Paris Fashion Week and operates in international fashion markets across Europe, North America, Asia, and Australia. Its Stockholm base remains central to its creative identity, while its retail network includes major cities such as Paris, London, New York, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Seoul, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Beijing. The business has remained privately held. In late 2018, IDG Capital and I.T Group acquired minority stakes from investment companies including Investment AB Öresund, Creades, and PAN Capital, while Johansson and executive chairman Mikael Schiller retained majority ownership. In 2019, the company moved its headquarters to Floragatan 13 in Stockholm, a listed former Czechoslovak embassy building whose redesign involved Johansson and other designers. Acne Studios continues to operate as an independent, internationally recognized fashion label centered on design, denim, creative collaboration, and cultural publishing.
History
Acne Studios began in Stockholm in 1996 as part of ACNE, a creative collective whose activities included graphic design, film, production, advertising, and digital work. Jonny Johansson was one of the collective’s founders and became the central figure in its fashion development. The label’s name was first associated with Associated Computer Nerd Enterprises and was subsequently expressed as Ambition to Create New Expressions, reflecting the group’s cross-disciplinary orientation. The fashion business gained traction through denim. In 1997, Johansson made 100 pairs of raw denim jeans with red stitching and distributed them to people close to the collective. The jeans were noticed by influential fashion media, including Wallpaper* and Vogue Paris. This exposure gave the young label a foundation for expansion into a wider fashion proposition. Denim remained an important part of its identity, but the company gradually added seasonal men’s and women’s ready-to-wear collections, footwear, and accessories. Acne Studios’ development was shaped by Johansson’s interests beyond clothing. Photography, art, architecture, furniture, publishing, and contemporary culture informed product design and visual communication. The brand produced books and magazines, organized exhibitions and installations, and worked with artists, photographers, furniture designers, and other cultural figures. This approach helped distinguish it from labels that communicated primarily through conventional advertising. In 2006, Acne Studios separated from the other businesses in the ACNE collective and became a standalone company. The same period included the launch of its e-commerce operation. It subsequently built a global distribution system combining its own stores, shop-in-shops, department stores, wholesale partners, and online retailers. The company’s seasonal women’s and men’s collections have been presented at Paris Fashion Week twice each year. A significant later denim development came in April 2017, when the company relaunched its denim collection as Acne Studios Blå Konst, Swedish for “Blue Art.” The launch included new permanent jean shapes for men and women, as well as seasonally changing ready-to-wear and accessories. The company also expanded the use of its Face motif, a simple graphic expression that became recognizable across unisex apparel and accessories. Acne Studios continued to grow through international retail and creative partnerships. Collaborations included Fjällräven, Starter Black Label, Russell Westbrook, Liberty London, Bianchi, and artists and photographers such as Lord Snowdon, William Wegman, Hilma af Klint-related estates or artworks, Peter Schlesinger, Jack Pierson, and Max Lamb. Its publishing program included Acne Paper and photography books connected to limited fashion capsules. In December 2018, IDG Capital and I.T Group purchased minority stakes from previous investment shareholders. Johansson and Mikael Schiller retained majority control. In 2019, the company moved into a former Czechoslovak embassy building on Floragatan in Stockholm, reinforcing the relationship between its headquarters, architecture, and creative identity. Acne Studios remains an active independent fashion house with an international retail and wholesale presence.
- 2019
Headquarters moves to Floragatan
[1]The Stockholm headquarters relocates to a listed former embassy building redesigned with participation from the creative team.
- 2018
Minority investment transactions
[1]IDG Capital and I.T Group acquire minority holdings while the founders retain majority ownership.
- 2017
Blå Konst denim relaunch
[1]The brand introduces the Blå Konst denim concept with new permanent jean shapes and seasonal related products.
- 2017
Face motif collection launches
[1]A unisex collection of clothing and accessories expands the use of Acne Studios’ graphic face motif.
- 2012
Snowdon Blue publication and capsule
[1]Acne Studios and Lord Snowdon publish a photography book accompanied by a limited collection of blue shirts.
- 2006
Fashion business becomes independent
[1]Acne Studios separates from other ACNE companies and launches its e-commerce operation.
- 1997
First raw denim jeans gain attention
[1]Johansson produces 100 pairs of raw jeans with red stitching; fashion media attention helps the label move beyond its initial creative-collective setting.
- 1996
Acne Studios is founded
[1]Jonny Johansson establishes the fashion label in Stockholm within the broader ACNE creative collective.
Products and positioning
An independent Scandinavian luxury fashion brand combining contemporary design, denim heritage, street-influenced silhouettes, and art, photography, and publishing collaborations.
Apparel
Ready-to-wear
Acne Studios’ main seasonal clothing business covers women’s and men’s collections. Designs commonly combine Scandinavian minimalism with relaxed or exaggerated proportions, graphic elements, unexpected color, and references drawn from streetwear and contemporary culture. The line provides the broader fashion framework in which the brand’s denim, footwear, and accessories are presented.
Denim apparel · 1997
Denim
Denim was the product category that first gave Acne Studios broad fashion-media visibility. The brand’s denim offer includes multiple fits, washes, and treatments, balancing everyday utility with a more directional fashion perspective. Denim remains a recurring foundation of the company’s collections and brand identity.
Denim and casual apparel · 2017
Acne Studios Blå Konst
Blå Konst is the name used for the denim relaunch introduced in 2017. It brought together men’s and women’s jeans, ready-to-wear, and accessories, with selected jean shapes intended as permanent styles and related seasonal products updated over time.
Footwear
Footwear
The footwear assortment extends the label’s clothing language into shoes for men and women. Products are designed as part of the seasonal fashion collections and use distinctive proportions, materials, colors, and branding rather than functioning only as basic wardrobe staples.
Fashion accessories
Accessories
Accessories include handbags, small leather goods, eyewear, scarves, and other fashion items. They are important both commercially and visually, providing surfaces for recognizable motifs such as Face and for collaborations involving artists, lettering, unusual materials, or special packaging.
Marketing campaigns
- 2017Spring/Summer 2017 portrait campaign
United States · France · Italy · Hong Kong
Paolo Roversi photographed a portrait series featuring international creative figures including Golshifteh Farahani, Fatima Al Qadiri, and Hayv Kahraman. The images were exhibited outdoors in New York, Paris, Milan, and Hong Kong.
Outcome. The campaign extended Acne Studios’ art- and photography-led communications into public spaces.
- 2017Blå Konst launch campaign
Global
Collier Schorr photographed the campaign for the Blå Konst denim relaunch, which appeared online alongside the new products on 6 April 2017.
Outcome. Introduced the renewed denim identity and collection to the brand’s international audience.
- 2016Fall/Winter 2016 campaign
France · China · Italy · United Kingdom
Photographer David Sims created a campaign presented internationally through Paris Fashion Week posters, Hong Kong placements, Milan streetcars, and digital imagery at Harrods in London.
Outcome. International campaign rollout supporting the Fall/Winter 2016 collection.
Brand decisions
2018
Accept minority strategic investmentsM&ABackground
Acne Studios remained privately controlled while previous investment shareholders sold minority holdings.
Action taken
IDG Capital acquired 30.1% and I.T Group acquired 10.9% of the company, according to the referenced account.
Aftermath
Jonny Johansson and Mikael Schiller remained majority shareholders.
Annual sales. 2.34 billion Swedish kronor (2019/20 financial year)
2017
Relaunch denim as Acne Studios Blå KonstProduct launchBackground
Denim had been central to the label since its early raw-jeans project and remained a core category.
Action taken
The company introduced Blå Konst across its stores and website, with new men’s and women’s jean styles and related apparel and accessories.
Aftermath
The relaunch gave the denim business a distinct identity while retaining permanent core fits and seasonal product updates.
2006
Separate the fashion label from the ACNE collectiveStrategyBackground
The fashion operation had developed within a broader group involved in advertising, film, production, and digital work.
Action taken
Acne Studios became a standalone company and launched e-commerce.
Aftermath
The independent label expanded its own retail, wholesale, and online international fashion business.
Recent events
- 2019
Acne Studios relocates Stockholm headquarters[1]
Other
The company moved its headquarters from Gamla stan to Floragatan 13, a listed former Czechoslovak embassy building in Stockholm.
- 2018
IDG Capital and I.T Group acquire minority stakes[1]
M&A
IDG Capital acquired a 30.1% stake and I.T Group acquired a 10.9% stake from existing investment shareholders. Jonny Johansson and Mikael Schiller remained majority shareholders.
- 2017
Acne Studios launches Blå Konst denim line[1]
Product launch · Product generation
The brand relaunched its denim offer under the Blå Konst name, introducing permanent men’s and women’s jean styles alongside seasonally updated ready-to-wear and accessories.
- 2017
Acne Studios introduces Face motif collection[1]
Product launch
A unisex apparel and accessories collection built around the brand’s graphic face motif was launched after the motif had first appeared in an earlier collection.
- 2006
Acne Studios becomes a standalone company and launches e-commerce[1]
Other
The fashion business separated from other companies in the ACNE creative collective and began operating as an independent company, while also launching online commerce.
Sources3 sources
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