Jonny Johansson is the creative director and co-founder of Acne Studios, the Stockholm-based multidisciplinary fashion house.
Johansson grew up in the north of Sweden and was originally a guitarist in several rock bands in his youth.[1] [2]
In 2002, Jonny and three colleagues founded the ACNE creative collective. ACNE stands for Ambition to Create Novel Expression, but Johansson has also expressed that he liked the idea of ‘appropriating a difficult word’ and making it cool.[3] In 1997, the Acne Studios fashion line was born when Johansson created 100 pairs of raw denim jeans with red stitching and gave them away to friends and family.[4]
Johansson has stated that the early inspiration for Acne Studios came from the Warhol Factory.[5] Johansson is heavily influenced by art, design, literature and music and over the years he has collaborated with a diverse range of artists, photographers and designers such as Lanvin, Lord Snowdon and transsexual magazine Candy.[6] His characteristic style is an emphasis on tailoring and the use of eclectic materials and custom fabrics.