Acne Studios and Hussein Chalayan Revisit Fashion History With New Capsule

October 18, 2026 | D.M. Fashion Book | Fashion

Acne Studios is looking to the archives for its latest collaboration, partnering with British-Cypriot designer Hussein Chalayan on a capsule collection that reimagines some of his most influential designs from the early 2000s.

Known for challenging the boundaries between fashion, technology and conceptual design, Chalayan brings his experimental approach to the Swedish fashion house through the creative vision of Acne Studios founder and creative director Jonny Johansson. Drawing from the designer’s Ventriloquy (2001), Medea (2002) and Manifest Destiny (2003) collections, the 12-piece lineup revisits his signature design language through a contemporary lens.

The collection combines archival inspiration with Acne Studios’ modern aesthetic, featuring patchworked denim, twisted silhouettes, trompe l’oeil python prints and asymmetrical designs. The lineup also introduces a reimagined Camero handbag and collaborative slogan T-shirts, highlighting Chalayan’s continued influence on experimental fashion and innovative construction.

The collaboration extends beyond apparel with a campaign photographed at London’s V&A East Storehouse. The setting brings Chalayan’s designs into conversation with objects from the museum’s archive, emphasizing the relationship between fashion, art and cultural history.

Accompanying the release is a limited-edition publication titled Reference: Hussein Chalayan. With only 1,000 copies available, the book explores the designer’s lasting impact on fashion and design, offering another perspective on the ideas and experimentation that have defined his career.

By bringing Chalayan’s influential archive into a contemporary collection, Acne Studios celebrates a designer whose unconventional approach continues to challenge traditional ideas of what fashion can be.