Acne Studios Opens New Flagship In Paris

On the rue Saint-Honoré in Paris...

The space has undergone a comprehensive renovation to adhere to the brand’s global store ethos. The team at Acne Studios works hard to ensure that every store represents the brand design language in an individual way that celebrates each location as well. The new Paris flagship is a triumph of Parisian elegance alongside the counter-cultural nature of the Stockholm-based brand.

Creative director Jonny Johansson worked closely with Barcelona-based architecture studio Arquitectura-G to reimagine the 285m2 space that is composed almost entirely in Saint Maximin stone to clad the walls, floors and columns for a monolithic effect that combines the exterior and interior walls. The pale, golden-beige limestone is synonymous with the city of Paris, having been used extensively in the construction of the city and was sourced from a nearby French quarry.

“Lately, I’ve been hanging out at the Rålis skate park in Stockholm, which was built under a bridge to prevent the concrete skate bowls from getting wet and slippery. I find it a poetic spot, and it reminds me a little of Paris because there are so many bridges in the city. I wanted the store to feel like you were sitting under a bridge. I like the idea of a secret society, a sub-culture, existing under the arches – and I thought it was a good way to think of Acne Studios as a brand on the big fashion street,” says Jonny Johansson, Creative Director of Acne Studios.

Original floor-to-ceiling windows have been stripped back to allow maximum light into the airy, double story space. Bespoke hand-made metal rails designed by Arquitectura-G border the angular stairs that lead to a spacious, open plan upper level.

French artist and longtime friend of the brand Benoit Lalloz designed the internal lights ina wave-like formation to create the sensation of fluidity against the rigidity of the stone columns and fixtures, while British designer Max Lamb created soft furnishings in a mixture of black leather and hand-sewed fabrics for the same effect.

As the show opens during Paris Fashion Week, the store will be showcasing FW22 looks from its men’s and women’s collections alongside shoes and accessories including the brand’s emblematic Musubi bag.

Visit Acne Studios at 219 rue Saint-Honoré in Paris and acnestudios.com