Sportswear’s sharp precision meets academic nostalgia, as if garments have been passed from one generation to the next. Imperfection takes precedence over polish, with SS26 embracing an instinctive, unbothered approach to dressing.
The season’s imagined protagonist is a college student — slipping into clothes on the fly, riding his scooter through sunlit streets. The mood is casual, almost accidental, moving away from last season’s pursuit of sartorial perfection. Vintage references run deep: silhouettes and details carry the feeling of decades layered together. Sportswear remains a constant, though worn unexpectedly — for the wrong sport, or for none at all.
“We keep exploring and rebuilding the emblematic codes of menswear,” says Jonny Johansson, Acne Studios creative director. “This time, it’s with a geeky, quietly confident attitude — charisma born from not trying too hard.”
The collection plays with proportion and era. Shapes oscillate between elongated and oversized, stretched and shrunken. Jogger-like trousers carry volume, shorts are sharply abbreviated, and boot-cut pants seem transported through time. The 1970s influence is clear: long-point collars, silk accents, and the new slim-cut 1979 jeans. The straight-leg, low-waist 2010 jeans return in a “mended” update.
Leather co-ords channel minimal luxury, echoed in clean-cut latex-coated denim with a subtle stretch. Acne Studios icons — bombers, bikers — appear either stripped-back and precise or dramatically inflated. Prints collide: Japanese motifs, trompe l’oeil denim revealing retro florals, and layered graphics amplify the eclectic spirit.
Fabric pairings bring tonal and tactile contrasts — check wools, silk knits, and plaids meeting sleek leathers and latex-finish denim. There’s a sense of movement: stretch fabrics contouring the body, worn-in denim washes, and colours shifting from sun-faded neutrals to jolts of electric blue, bright yellow, and signature Acne pink. Earthy browns and beiges nod to formal tradition.
Accessories underscore the character’s self-expression. Aviators and vintage-inspired frames, logo caps with a DIY touch, cowboy boots as a house signature, soft loafers referencing the car shoe, buckled leather-strap sandals, and the Camero bag reimagined in new fabrics and forms.
At its core, SS26 is about tension and play — the free-spirited instinct that has always defined Acne Studios.