Acne staged a culture clash for its Resort presentation: "a downtown 'young jeans' girl," in the words of creative director Jonny Johansson, crashing into the fabrics and shapes of midcentury couture. There were what looked like acres of taffeta, organza, silk, and linen at the label's first New York presentation, and silhouettes from the height of haute in the 1940's and fifties.
That meant a new emphasis on volume for a company that rode the skinny-jean wave to the top and an insistent femininity, despite the brand's beginnings in rocker chick (and dude) androgyny. It's a course Acne has been pursuing for a few seasons, and it's getting more sure-footed as it goes. In the case of this presentation, looks were styled to the nines—which, in a few cases, might've been three too many. Billowing taffeta trousers emerged from under tight pencil skirts and proper cap-sleeve dresses ("interrupted volume," Johansson called it). In other instances, as in a black taffeta ball gown under a destroyed denim jacket, the look felt closer to what you might find off the runway.
For all the fifties references, Johansson wasn't precious with his materials, letting them crinkle and crease organically. As usual, his color sense was spot-on, too: A rich palette of pumpkin, plum, sea foam, and lemon yellow set off the black, white, and denim indigo. It made what could've been fussy, fun. That's never a bad step to take. And if any of Acne's old fans were looking for more jeans than the runway lap showed, they'll surely be sated when the collection hits shop floors.
