Acne Studios celebrated its tenth year of showing in Paris by throwing a wedding party with a twist. Set within a bubblegum carpeted show space, guests sat upon beds draped in pink silk sheets and plush pillows to watch the Swedish house’s latest collection saunter down the runway. Soundtracked by a live performance from Avant-harp collective LEYA & Eartheater, their ethereal sound mirrored the romantic edge that shouldered Johnny Johansson’s designs. Awash with roses, bridal slippers and Valentine’s bows, on the surface, this collection seemed a sugary sweet dream but it was a lesson in over-indulgence and subverting the kitsch. 

Everything was a study in contradictions, sugar-coated pastel hues transformed into fiery red and burnt brown – a colour palette akin to the life of those Valentine’s flowers you leave in the vase for too long. Archetypes were abstracted into new forms with petticoats crafted in transparent tulle and blazers left open, bows were deconstructed to mirror an unravelling of union and tailoring was torn apart at the seams. The relationship metaphors speak for themselves.  

Ruffled silk tops accompanied by asymmetrical chiffon skirts were a recurring silhouette, while slashed knits were paired with polished satin trousers and gingham suits met their match in the form of thrashed leather blazers. Offset with the season’s accessories, heavy metal spike chokers, cuffs and studded bags balanced out the cartoonish romanticism of heart emblems and flowing ribbons. Menswear followed suit in delicate satin tailoring, sheer twisted floral tops and leather trim hot pants – a playful take on the traditional male wedding guest. 

Johansson said of the inspiration behind the brand’s SS23 collection; “I find weddings fascinating because they are always a melting pot, and they kickstart a lot of aesthetic choices. There’s something cute, kitschy, sweet about weddings – but also something serious, tense, and vulnerable. I wanted to put a spin on the classic, kitschy wedding.”