Acne Studios SS25 Finds Strength In Vulnerability

Acne Studios presented its SS25 line in a stark white room that housed an array of colorful sculptures retrofitted from various household objects by Philadelphia artist Jonathan Lyndon Chase. In a statement, the artist said that “comfortability and vulnerability,” as well as “living unapologetically” in ones space were top of mind while crafting the installation for the collection. With throughlines of raised shoulders, puffy tailoring, and extra wide waistlines there is indeed a sense of magnification and expansion of form expressed with emboldened softness.

The show opened with a close-fitting beige ensemble, one of the more stripped-down looks made in lightweight skin-toned fabrics that evoke bareness. The presentation then made a sharp turn, dressing it up with surreal puffed-up tailoring, demonstrated by a seemingly inflated gray two-piece suit with reptilian embossing. Then, sculpted full-bodied jeans and skirts were followed by smooth structured leather sets, which all together had the feel of the rubber clothes fashioned for miniature dolls. Later, chunky knits and oversized checks appeared as if they had been digitally augmented to a larger-than-life scale. On some looks, exaggerated busts and shoulder straps protruded from the models, creating a similar feel to paper doll dress-up books.

Just before closing the show, pieces embellished with matching knotted scraps came down the runway, recalling distressed woolen knits presented earlier in the range. Alongside the kitsch callbacks to toy fashion, an untamed use of pattern and asymmetrical styling characterized numbers that looked as though the models rushed out of the closet briskly tying different garments into make shift gowns.

Much like Chase’s painted furniture and decor strewn about the room, perhaps the collection speaks to the ways that personal objects become imbued with human identity. Bringing the spirit of childhood play to Paris, the overall presentation read as a sincere ode to uncompromising self-expression.

See the full Acne Studios SS25 collection in the gallery above and stay tuned for more Paris Fashion Week coverage on Hypebeast.