
The many men of Acne Studios
The Swedish brand just presented the FW25 Menswear collection in Paris

January 22nd, 2025
A cowboy, a runner, and imposing furs: these three seemingly contrasting elements set the stage for the eclecticism of the latest menswear collection by Acne Studios, unveiled this morning at Paris Fashion Week. For FW25, Jonny Johansson delves into archetypes of menswear, reinterpreting them with a subtle subversion while staying true to the brand’s hallmark of effortless style. The concept begins by questioning what defines a classic, deconstructing its codes, and shaping this new collection accordingly. Silhouettes range from 1970s-inspired, body-hugging fits to 1980s power dressing, where jackets and trousers are oversized and fluid. Modern reinterpretations are also present: trousers shortened to resemble outdoor boxers, cropped t-shirts revealing the waist, and padded shoulders creating triangular shapes that emphasize physicality. The color palette draws from the sartorial elegance of navy blue and asphalt gray, enriched with shades reminiscent of vintage menswear—deep browns, rust, and burgundy—while pops of red, orange, and denim blue inject a lively energy. Here and there, worn mélange gray and soft pink evoke a sportswear aesthetic, further enhancing the laid-back appeal.
Outerwear steals the spotlight, playfully reinterpreting furs: from mob-wife (or perhaps mob-husband?) style coats to bold, voluminous shearling jackets, Acne Studios elevates luxury to a new, more mature and sophisticated level. Classic menswear fabrics—flannel, striped viscose, oversized corduroy, and checked wool—are radically transformed with mouliné and bouclé yarns, while denim takes center stage with experimental treatments like fil coupé monograms and trompe-l’œil prints. The trompe-l’œil technique, a signature of the collection, appears in hand-drawn naïf-style suit-and-tie prints on jersey tops, as well as in ties transformed into interwoven bow motifs. Pop energy is palpable in vintage sportswear references, including “Pink Gym for everyone” prints on t-shirts and tank tops, and in varsity-inspired aesthetics reimagined with a contemporary twist.
Completing the vision are footwear and accessories that play with the conventions of menswear formality: brogues are deconstructed with studs and exaggerated toes, loafers sport Acne Studios-branded plaques, and low sneakers evoke retro ballerinas and vintage boxing shoes. Even boots become denim hybrids, resembling rolled-up jeans wrapped around the ankles. Meanwhile, belts with Western-inspired buckles (playfully softened with heart shapes), caps inspired by vintage aviator helmets, and the new Camero bag—a reimagined briefcase for 2025—perfectly encapsulate the distinctive codes of the Swedish brand. Twenty-four looks, each unique yet all in conversation: one, none, and a hundred thousand men, all by Acne Studios.