Back in the 17th century, privileged young men would embark on what was known as the Grand Tour, a trip through Europe closely linked to classical culture. In the post-pandemic era, tourists are once again flocking to tried-and-tested destinations on the Tour itinerary, though perhaps less in search of enlightenment than luxury shopping and good gelato.
When Jonny Johansson headed to Venice last fall, he indulged in all the stereotypical pleasures: a gondola ride at night; coffee on St. Mark’s Square, and a visit to the islands of Burano and Murano. He even bought a souvenir hat.
The experience fed into his spring collection for Acne Studios, which was all about “this whole idea of accumulating things on a trip and daring to rearrange and change your idea of who you are,” he said. In true Acne fashion, it translated into an eclectic silhouette rich in improvised details.
Ever feel like you’ve underpacked? How about tying a shawl around your torso as a top? Johanssen created a halterneck out of a pistachio green scarf, and paired it with apron-fronted jeans dyed a vivid shade of pink, for an outfit that sported no fewer than three logos. And by adding a faux dirty bottom to a pink velour tracksuit, he took the stress out of holiday laundry.
Cycling shorts and skintight knits with tubular padding were great for couples sharing a vacation wardrobe. But the stars of the collection were the denim pieces, which included a classic jean jacket and flared pants with a trompe-l’oeil patchwork photo print of items culled from Johansson’s vintage denim trove. Other styles played with texture, including waxed metallic effects and moto stitching.
It all harks back to Acne’s roots as a denim brand, though back when it launched its first pieces in 1997, it gained fame for its minimalist raw denim jeans. Johansson’s journey since then has taken him into a more baroque direction, with his designs mirroring the advent of genderless dressing.
“We’re not like a shoemaker that’s making the same shoe and just refining that. We’re more explosive,” he explained. “Giving birth to something new is more important than refining sometimes.”
That experimental streak has led him to collaborate with a series of artists that challenge aesthetic boundaries. Here, it was Swedish ceramic and glass artist Per B. Sundberg, whose humorous, sometimes provocative creations provided the basis for the prints on glossy pants, as well as a smattering of jewelry pieces including a cartoonish skull ring. “Is it good? Is it not good? That’s the question,” Johansson said.
His own designs suggest that all the fun lies in taking a wild risk.
Source: WWD