Did we underestimate Acne Studios?

If ten years ago we had been told that Diesel and Blumarine were among the hottest brands of the moment, we wouldn't have believed it. However, what doesn't come as a surprise is the constant and multifaceted rise of Acne Studios, the Swedish fashion house founded in 1996. In recent months it has experienced unprecedented, perhaps unexpected, or rather, never sought after, fame. 

Within the aesthetic universe of Acne Studios, there are beloved and timeless constants - denim, leather, Musubi It bags, sneakers, and hoodies from the Face Logo line. Then there are the novelties, successful and appreciated, in line with the DNA of the brand yet oriented towards the future. In this sense, the fashion house led by Jonny Johansson has found one of the greatest and most balanced syntheses of that much-vaunted but never really achieved luxury streetwear. 

Acne Studios SS23

Acne Studios SS23

Acne Studios SS23

Acne Studios SS23

Acne Studios SS23

Acne Studios SS23

The fashion house's recent rise moves on two fronts. On the one hand, there's the product, revamped and recalibrated starting in 2021, intercepted by TikTok's fashionista audience, an inescapable thermometer of trends and tastes. The success of the mohair plaid scarf (admittedly in Acne's arsenal for years), reflected in the nearly 13 million views of the dedicated hashtag, catapulted the brand into the platform's mainstream imagination. The winter accessory turned into an object of desire, elevating itself to an attainable access point to a de facto luxury Maison (the scarf still costs 260 euros). The ultimate transition to must-have is completed with the proliferation of copies and dupes because never as on TikTok copying the best form of flattery. 

Along with the yellow Onitsuka Tiger sneakers and the viral Uniqlo cross-body bags, among the most searched and loved items on TikTok increasingly appear Acne Studios products, which are not exactly cheap. Dominating the trends in recent months were the 1650-euro biker-style leather jacket, sold out everywhere; a workwear-inspired bomber jacket in an irresistible hint of pink, 590 euros, also sold out; an asymmetrical skirt with lace trim, seen on the SS23 runway, 490 euros; not to mention the 330-euro white sunglasses, also sold out. 

What's happening then? Has the buying power on TikTok changed, or has the perception of Acne Studios changed? Given that there has always been room for luxury on ByteDance's platform, it would seem that the interest in the brand's garments (by an audience of varying ages) is the result of a bottom-up movement, organic and not "maneuvered" by marketing campaigns or seeding to influencers. The Acne Studios aesthetic, quite simply, is widely appreciated, as part of that Scandinavian imagery that proliferates so much online, but mainly thanks to details and twists that are uniquely its own. 

The missing piece in the evolution and repositioning of Acne Studios is the slow but relentless penetration into celebrity culture. If Kylie Jenner sits in the front row at your fashion show something has changed, or is bound to. In recent months Acne Studios has dressed Internet daddy Pedro Pascal, in an outfit that went viral; Emma D'Arcy on the red carpet of the 2023 Golden Globes, thus signaling its gender fluid vocation; Ryan Gosling, a few days ago at CinemaCon already in Ken mode. Not to mention the face of the brand Rosalía, beloved by Gen Z and beyond, for whom the fashion house also designed the tour costumes.  

An unrepeatable combination of audience and celebrities reflects the golden moment of Acne Studios. Talking about fame and being trendy, CEO Mattias Magnusson told nss magazine: "It's a double-edged sword. You want to be accepted, but you also want to be unique. If you're part of this world you want to be loved but also to feel special". At least for the moment, the mission is accomplished.