Swedish brand Acne Studios are honouring the legacy of renowned artist Larry Stanton, four decades after he sadly died of AIDS complications in 1984 at the age of 37. A capsule collection titled Acne Studios Loves Larry Stanton featuring his artworks stands alongside a series of site-specific exhibitions curated by set designer Fabio Cherstich across stores in Milan, Tokyo, Seoul and New York.

Known for crafting intimate and colourful portraiture of friends, family and boys he met in Manhattan bars , Stanton’s expressive and intuitive body of work wonderfully documented life in New York City and beyond between the 60s and 80s. As a gay man, his work artfully caught the liberating period of time post-Stonewall and pre-AIDS in the queer scene, capturing the beauty and sensuality of the characters that surrounded him. It is these seminal paintings which appear across cotton t-shirts, one adorned with a self-portrait and one emblazoned with the words “I’m going to make it”, which Stanton proclaimed while hospitalised. Elsewhere, scarves and jacquard blankets are adorned with Stanton’s swimming pool imaginings in a palette of primary colours.

Alongside the capsule, the brand release the 17th edition of Acne Paper, merging the methods of biography, novel, art journal and fashion magazine. Imagined around Atticus, a fictional personality in the art world who will celebrate his 100th birthday during the Acne Paper launch. The issue also comprises the work of more than 50 contemporary artists, presenting a study of the current artistic landscape.

Tying in with Stanton’s inclusion in the brand’s latest collection, protagonist Atticus also recalls the AIDS epidemic and the talents who fell victim to the disease in a noteworthy portfolio paying tribute to the work of Darrel Ellis, Arch Connelly, Jimmy Wright and of course, Larry Stanton.

The collection will be available in Acne Studios stores worldwide and online at acnestudios.com from tomorrow.