TICKLED PINK

Acne Studios contrasts sharp minimalism with soft touches at its playful new Tokyo flagship, designed in collaboration with Swedish studio Halleroed

- DANIELLE DEMETRIOU

Afternoon sun cuts across minimalist lines of textured stone, angular display cases and hovering seats, all in very modern shades of pink.

There is no mistaking the presence of Swedish fashion label Acne Studios and the telltale cool of its signature shade in the heart of Tokyo’s Aoyama district, where it recently opened its new Japanese flagship.

Clean-lined, monolithic, flooded with light - and instantly recognisable as part of the Acne Studios cosmos - the new store spans a prime corner spot on Omotesando, a longtime architectural playground (it’s next to Prada’s bubble façade, designed by Herzog & de Meuron). Here, Acne Studios expresses its playful, modern philosophy through a three-level space brought to life by the company’s founder and creative director, Jonny Johansson, alongside regular collaborator, Stockholm-based studio Halleroed.