ACNE | SPRING / SUMMER 2013

For his fourth collection, creative director Jonny Johannson added a new level of sophistication to this year’s Acne Spring / Summer 2013 men’s collection.

In recent years, Johansson has steered away from the notion of being an all denim brand and this was obvious to the eye. ‘We never wanted to be just a denim brand…We were afraid to show too much denim, to be put in a box,’ said Johannson.

The Acne brand is known for its clever ways of handling denim and this view was very much present during the show. The Spring / Summer 2013 men’s collection was particularly inspired by work-wear, so of course denim was always going to be at the forefront, however Acne cleverly introduced different textures and also layering, creating the perfect balance.

Silhouettes cascaded down the catwalk transporting us to a US county jail – an extremely fashionable one at that, as stripes quickly dominated the runway. Models wore horizontal and vertical aligned prison stripes, which were sleek, lightweight, wide and contrasting. The colour palette for stripes, were blue, white, beige, cream and burnt red, suggesting coloured stripes are a must for Acne Spring / Summer 2013 menswear.

Elongated striped t-shirts were also introduced and were cleverly styled with the same patterned waistcoats, blazers and trousers, again highlighting the need for stripes next spring and summer.

True to form however, Acne to no one’s surprise opened the show with dark blue and black denim. This was seen on fitted jackets, trousers and baggy shorts cut just below the knee. Leather was also incorporated onto jackets, layered on top of lightweight vests, styled with a slouchy hat- a common occurrence throughout the show.

Outfits were complimented nicely with laced shiny shoes in metallic gold and silver, which added a hint of extravagance to the Acne Spring / Summer 2013 men’s collection.

- Alexandria Hall