The pre-fall phenomenon has yet to make much impression on Sweden, so Acne's contribution to fashion's newest season was unsurprisingly low-key. A mere ten looks, in fact. But, as edited as they were, they still pointed to new possibilities for the brand. Androgyny has been something of a signature for the label. Here it took a back seat to the unambiguous womanliness of flared full skirts, fitted shifts, and a sensational ponyskin coat-dress.
As is often the case with Acne, founder Jonny Johansson's backstory was even more riveting than the clothes. He had been on an art weekend at Lismore Castle, the Irish seat of the Duke of Devonshire for the past 250 years, and he was inspired by the women of the family, a clan that includes the living legend Debo, Dowager Duchess. "I was never drawn to something classic before, but now I had a reason to do it," said Johansson. The plainness of a white shirt tucked into an elastic-waist skirt did, in fact, suggest the no-nonsense chatelaine of a grand country estate out for a stroll through her garden. Not so the urban black leather or the denims with their bejeweled trim, which efficiently targeted Acne's established customer base.
