Jonny Johansson

Jonny Johansson co-founded Acne Studios in Stockholm in 1996 as part of a creative collective that spanned film, advertising, and design. The name ACNE originally stood for 'Ambition to Create Novel Expressions.' Before focusing on fashion, the collective worked across multiple creative disciplines, and the fashion line itself began almost accidentally with the distribution of raw denim jeans.

Acne Studios' first major fashion product was a line of approximately 100 pairs of raw denim jeans with distinctive red stitching, distributed to friends, family, and boutiques in 1997. The jeans gained attention in Stockholm's fashion scene and became a cult item. From this unexpected beginning, Johansson expanded the label into full ready-to-wear collections.

Johansson's design approach is known for a Scandinavian minimalist sensibility combined with artistic references and a deliberately understated aesthetic. He often draws inspiration from art, photography, and subcultures rather than traditional fashion trends. The brand became known for its focus on tailoring, fabric quality, and a muted color palette with occasional bold accents.

Acne Studios grew from a Stockholm-based collective into an internationally recognized fashion house over the 2000s and 2010s, showing collections at Paris Fashion Week. The brand opened flagship stores in major cities worldwide and expanded into footwear, accessories, and denim lines. By the 2010s, it had become one of Sweden's most prominent fashion exports.