ACNE ART DEPARTMENT for ACNE STUDIOS
Acne Art Department is an autonomous member of the multidisciplinary Acne collective, based in a single building on the cobbled streets of Gamla Stan, Stockholm. A unique and highly effective creative ecosystem, Acne is now comprised of seven companies, which provide internal expertise, while each independently pursues external clients and projects. Originally incorporated as part of Acne Creative, the specialization of advertising and graphic design was acknowledged in 2008 when Acne Advertising and Acne Art Department were established.
Acne is the acronym for ‘Ambition to Create Novel Expression’, and while this is a statement of intention, it also refers to a less than desirable skin condition, a potentially insurmountable obstacle for the image-conscious fashion industry. Through intelligent and innovative brand management, Acne Art Department have played a major role in overhauling this perception for the Acne Studios fashion brand. It has been so successful that a survey of university students in Stockholm found that the majority of them associate ‘Acne’ primarily with jeans, not skin problems.
Since the modest production of 100 pairs of unisex jeans for family and friends in 1998, Acne Studios have become synonymous with effortless style and sophistication. Their main challenge has always been to find a balance between artistic inclinations and commercial realities. The visual language has provided a vital foundation for their exponential global expansion. Acne Art Department have implemented a consistent communication programme, never losing sight of the brand ideals while supporting each stage of the evolution. “There is never an opportunity for us to explain to each and every consumer about why things look a certain way. For them, it just does, and they have to like the result in order to want it,” says art director Daniel Carlsten.
Central to the branding exercise is Acne Paper, a seasonal fashion magazine that is the flagship of Acne Studio’s visual communication. Established in Autumn/Winter 2005/06, it supports the current collection, but also opens its pages up to rival labels. Although undoubtedly a piece of self-publicity, it promotes Acne Studios’ inspiration and conceptual development rather than specific products and services. As a self-perpetuating creative loop, this provides a ‘style guide’ that informs and is fed into by all the members of the Acne family.
The benefits of working within the collective are invaluable. “There is incredible freedom and enormous trust. We have been able to treat Acne Studios like it was our own brand, and we have done things that we would like to see as consumers. This enables very intuitive work,” says art director Jonas Jansson. Seeing themselves as customers strengthens the department’s ability to distil the brand values with increased precision. This is particularly evident in the high take-up rate of their initial concepts.
Inspiration for the Acne Studios branding comes from within. “Working in the multidisciplinary collective of Acne where there are film production, advertising, web production, toy manufacturing and all kinds of different collaborative projects, we simply use the idea of Acne when creating the Acne brand,” says Carlsten. “It’s always a mix of ideas. It’s fascinating when something ordinary is presented in an unexpected way or in an unexpected context. Not in an attempt to be weird for the sake of weird, but in the success of being surprisingly relevant.”
“The fashion industry is sensitive to visual communication and understands and values its importance in order to create and develop a look, a feeling or a brand,” says Jansson. “When working with other creatives, we are among friends. We are an integral part of the creative process and the product itself. We are creating fashion, yet not specific garments. Fashion is about packaging. We are creating fashion, in the sense that graphic design and art direction are an integral part of fashion.”
To achieve such integration with clients requires more than a shared office. There is an eagerness to understand what motivates them, practically and aesthetically. While this process is infinitely easier with Acne Studios, the experience impacts directly on the department’s broader practice. Art director Moses Voigt acknowledges the complexities of finding the balance with creative clients as they “often tend to use visuals, as opposed to a written brief, which can be a good thing, because words may be interpreted in so many ways. Interpretations open up misunderstandings. Pictures are more direct and easier to discuss.” A shared visual language is a prerequisite to ensure the best results.
The easy exchange of ideas lies at the heart of Acne Art Department. Collaboration, or dialogue as Jansson has implied, is of constant importance in their collective working environment. Within such an open platform, certain practicalities need to be put in place to maintain consistency. “It is extremely inspiring working with talented, creative people, but sometimes someone needs to take charge.” Managing creative expectations without crushing motivation can also be challenging. “Stubbornness is in itself not a goal, it just makes you a pain in the arse. There are always many solutions to a problem. We try to find one that everyone involved is happy with,” says Jansson.
In modern society, fashion is more than the production of clothing. Acne Art Department have a strong understanding of the need to consistently maximize the potential of their clients’ communication. With an acute self-awareness they blur the line between graphic designer, client and audience with great effect.
Acne Paper is a biannual fashion magazine launched in 2005. As an alternative to conventional print advertising, Acne Paper’s initial purpose was as a vehicle to promote the brand aesthetic and act as a moodboard showcase of the creative inspiration of each season. It also provides a collaborative showcase for the whole ‘family’ under the Acne umbrella (Advertising, Art Department, Production, JR, and Fashion & Denim). Oversized at 28 x 38cm (11 x 15in) and printed on various coated and uncoated paper stocks, the content is intimate and direct, leaving the impression of having viewed a personal portfolio. A selection of covers is shown here, overleaf is an opening spread. The distinct and consistent typographic treatment is shown on page 24.
This is a small selection of the vast array of branding collateral material. Clockwise from top right are jeans labels, denim buttons, a compliments slip and a receipt envelope.
Referencing each collection, the shopping bag offers another opportunity to reinforce the brand inspirations. Clockwise from top left is ‘There are, forever, buildings to be made, music to be composed, art to be created, clothes to be designed and photographs to be taken. But high speed can make for wrong turns, and short cuts can come out in the wrong place. Inspiring are those who break free to find a richer soil, in which to create,’ ‘Homage to Paul Renner by Acne Jeans 2006.05.03,’ ‘Homage to Haçienda by Acne 2006.03.24’ and the reverse of ‘Homage to Paul Renner by Acne Jeans 2006.05.03.’
Maximising every opportunity, wrapping tissue paper is customized each season.
The refined design aesthetic is carried right through to the smallest details. Acne Paper subscription cards get the treatment with alternating paper colours for each issue. ‘We’re thinking of you’ stamps add a personal touch to their envelopes while reinforcing the Acne Jeans mark/button simultaneously.