“There’s definitely, definitely, definitely no logic to human behavior. But yet so, yet so irresistible.” That line from Björk’s “Human Behavior” didn’t quite apply to this Acne Studios collection by Jonny Johansson—because the logic behind the collection was shaped by her song. Johansson had rewatched its fairytale video, complete with bear protagonists, and started riffing on it. In the meantime he also waved a paw at the great musician, who got involved in rearranging the track especially for this show.
The results were so irresistible. The bear (who Johansson indicated was a cipher for his own country-bound self when visiting the city) was expressed in mohair bodies and fuzzy Steiff-fabric coats and dresses (plus check tailoring), all of which had the exaggeratedly articulated shoulders and upper arms of a stuffed toy. Massively oversized felt boots worn under semi-sheer bear monogram chiffon dresses, fuzzily fringed denim separates (a bit threadbare), and bear print full-length sheath dresses were further roars from Johansson’s ursine urge.
Ladylike knits in boiled wool, boiled leather shirting, and vampily-wrapped PVC denim were garlanded with oversized bows. Two spotted baby blue and pink chiffon dresses were fronted with a gymnast’s flourish of hairpin ribbon. The zigzag familiarity of a Nordic knit pattern most conventionally found on a sweater was trippily transmogrified into a sort of integrated scarf-sash situation. Thigh-high leather boots with ostrich pattern puckering and oversized photographer’s bags developed this season with faux fur attachments were amongst the bear accessories.
A set that contrasted skyscraper shapes with tapestry covered river stones pointed to the frisson between urban knowingness and rural naturalness that was the conflicted source of this collection. Björk’s bear injected a satisfyingly surreal playfulness, but there were also plenty of seriously covetable clothes on Johansson’s runway today.
