Swedish fashion label Acne Studios began as a denim-focused project in 1996.
Acne Studios grew out of ACNE, a creative collective founded in Stockholm by Jonny Johansson, Mikael Schiller, Jesper Kouthoofd, and Tomas Skoging. One of its earliest products was a limited run of jeans with distinctive red stitching, made for friends and associates of the group.
The denim project helped establish the label’s reputation before it expanded into broader fashion, accessories, footwear, and furniture-related creative work. Jonny Johansson became especially associated with the fashion direction and the brand’s minimalist Scandinavian aesthetic.
Acne Studios is therefore more than a jeans brand today, but denim remains important to its origin story. Its 1996 beginning should not be confused with the founding dates of Swedish denim specialists such as Nudie Jeans or Cheap Monday.