“It’s a strange sparkling world, and the blackness envelops and comforts us, just as the scale makes us feel small and sheltered by this wonderful, calm land,” says Jonny Johansson, creative director and founder of Acne Studios, of his ethereal (yet undeniably eerie) fantasy forest. Created by British set designer Shona Heath, it introduced a dystopian twist to FW23, as models traversed the darkness to the sounds of avant-garde, classical, electronic composer Sarahsson. 

As if peeled directly from the forest floor, silhouette-hugging patchwork skirts and dresses appeared to be crafted from decaying leaves, whilst distressed leather and denim looks both concealed and revealed. Such exposure was contrasted with shawled, billowing outerwear – guaranteed to strike a chord with Acne devotees. A repurposing of discarded shapes and materials remained a prominent theme, from jewellery that resembled scrap metal to the new Multipocket handbag style, modelled on tool belts and vintage camera bags. 

A preoccupation with embracing distressed fabrics and imperfect details follows a wider incorporation of ‘realness’ in current design; an aspect of rawness and decay that ultimately brings life into a garment. For Johansson, this is a focal point of FW23’s celebration of growth and evolution.