Frédéric Malle & Jonny Johansson
Acne Studios founder

Acne Studios is not just a look.
If anything, it is many looks, an ethos not easily encapsulated: functional, but eclectic, the opposite of basic.

Frédéric Malle tried to put Acne Studios in a bottle. He knew what he envisioned: a neoclassical perfume with an irreverent twist; cool yet charming; new yet familiar; rough yet comfortable; innocent yet magnetic.

Frédéric Malle found a kindred spirit in Suzy Le Helley, who likes to construct new olfactory forms from familiar materials or accords. If each perfumer cultivates their own olfactive obsessions, Malle’s focus has been trained on aldehydes – synthetic components which lend a perfume a fresh and dazzling quality, such as a zesty or a metallic note. These molecules, utilised for the first time at the dawn of the 20th century, have contributed to the golden era of modern perfumery and have energised timeless masterpieces. Moreover, their fresh, clean scent has contributed since the 1950s to everyday household products. Like a garment cut from a rough material and transformed into a work of art thanks to its technical treatment and design, Frédéric Malle and Suzy Le Helley, faithful to the daring irreverence of Acne Studios, have combined functional and rich materials to achieve theexceptional.