Acne Studios Founder Jonny Johansson Is Not Down With Our Celebrity Fashion Obsession

Visit any Acne Studios store in the world—you pick, could be any one of the Swedish label’s locations in Paris, New York, L.A., Seoul, Hong Kong or one of the other 24 cities around world—and you’ll likely find the most-perfectly cut nylon bomber jacket hanging on the rack next to a sweater covered in jacquard hotdogs; or a crazy pair of pleated, high-gloss polyurethane trousers beside some simple, elegant wool suit pants. Point is: No other brand is menswear has more perfectly balanced the eccentric with the essential. Makes sense, then, that Acne, founded by creative director Jonny Johansson and three partners in 1996, started out making something that can be equal parts both: jeans. Today, the brand is a rising player in global fashion, capable of hanging with the most avant-garde and mass market designers alike. That duality just might be what makes the seemingly anonymous brand with the funny pink shopping bags so compelling right now. We sat down with the elusive designer to figure out what makes him tick—and what’s making Acne grow. See the interview at GQ Style.