With a soundtrack from Robyn and a collection that explores tropes of masculinity, femininity and everything in between, Acne Studios continues to have its finger firmly on the pulse
While the Acne Studios woman certainly has a vibe, she also refuses to be put in a box. For spring/summer 2026, creative director Jonny Johansson explores her multiple personas in a collection that swings from tropes of masculinity to defiant femininity, exploring every notch on the spectrum in between. Though the show notes describe the collection as an “inadvertent time capsule”, the show – with its pointed take on gender – certainly did reflect (or, perhaps, defy) some of the darker talking points in the zeitgeist.
But accidental social or political statements aside, as is often the case Acne Studios put forth the sort of looks that simply beg to be worn. Set beneath the soaring vaulted ceilings of Collège des Bernardins, which had been transformed into a wood-panelled cigar lounge for the occasion (a masculine space if there ever was one), the clothes were deliciously sensual. Liquid-like denim paired with cut-off flannel skirts and thigh-high cowboy boots gave way to an in-your-face homoeroticism (very Alexander Skarsgård Pillion press tour-coded). On the ultra-femme side, sculptural patchwork lace dresses – with their cups and boning – exaggerate the form.
As ever with Acne Studios, there was plenty of covetable tailoring, leather and denim on display. Oversized smoking jackets – a cheeky handprint set in the rear – and covetable, leather trousers with zipper details and a deeply covetable chocolate brown motor jacket with ribbon-like leather trim are sure to be on the wish list of many of the cool girls sat front row.
Speaking of front row cool girls, Robyn made a rare appearance in a top-to-toe patent leather daddy look. Yes, that soundtrack marked the Swedish pop star’s first new music in years, realised with an assist by fellow Swede Yung Lean. “There was an unexpected dialogue between the music and the clothes that I didn’t see coming,” says Robyn. “We had no prior knowledge of one another’s latest work, yet both question and celebrate the typical idea of female identity. It’s been fun and interesting to hear my lyrics in this context.”
As the Robyn tease sets the internet ablaze with album rumours, we are left with proof that Acne Studios doesn’t simply meet the zeitgeist, it sets it.
