by germinal » Sun Oct 06, 2013 5:10 pm
i like acne for various reasons.
They're clever at designing for the present. by this i mean they're very good at designing the clothes that people what to wear in that moment. their clothes, outside the basics, are not even remotely timeless and deliberately so. this isn't to say they cheaply follow trends, in fact they're more often the not the ones setting them. look through a tommy ton slideshow each season and you can bet one of the hype pieces will be acne, yet somehow they don't come across nearly as obnoxiously as kenzo et al. they burrow through that interstice between of-the-moment and cheap, lazy design and somehow come out the other side looking great.
Speaking of which, they're superb at presenting their product. their website and styling is impeccable, their shops are beautiful and their magazine, carefully chosen -collabs, other projects etc all feed into a very considered brand image. popular opinion says there's a sort of style over substance to their brand, a sort of flimsiness, and i think to a certain extent that's true: they're designers who happen to make clothes rather than tailors with good taste. however they also maintain extensive, well-priced, well-made basics and jeans lines; i have a shirt which must date back to 2008 that i still wear regularly, and has yet to show its age.
They're very swedish - and i think, even if they aren't responsible for codifying it, they typify that "swedish look" (you know the one) - but they are also a global brand.
Their product line (especially the women's) is extensive to a fault. like ben says it makes them difficult to pin down. they offer a total shopping experience and it would be easy to shop with them exclusively, for any occasion, and look cooler than your friends with minimal effort; i'm sure many people do this.
i'm certain they must understate in interviews their business savvy. they've repositioned themselves expertly over the years from denim brand to luxury label, yet they've kept their denim at the forefront. they're unique amongst their luxury competitors to offer a cool and desirable jeans line.
Anyway i made this thread because i find their positioning interesting. they seem on the cusp of everything. somewhere between a household name and fashion's little secret; somewhere between contemporary basics and luxury brand; somewhere between great design and throwaway trends