In an era increasingly driven by nostalgia, fantasy, and jovial disruption, Acne Studios once again affirms its distinct vision of luxury with the return of its collaboration with Tove Jansson’s Moomin franchise. Their second capsule collection for Fall/Winter 2025, launching globally on May 30, is more than a continuation—it is an expansion, deepening a cross-generational dialogue that merges Scandinavian design philosophy with one of the most beloved literary universes of the 20th century.

Building on the success of their November 2024 debut, Acne Studios delivers a new 16-piece unisex capsule, where graphic whimsy and sartorial experimentation fuse into a visual narrative anchored in tolerance, imagination, and gentle rebellion. The iconic Moomin characters—including Little My, Snorkmaiden, Stinky, and the enigmatic Hattifatteners—reappear as playful embroideries, removable metal patches, jacquard knit motifs, and graphic prints that pulse with life and eccentricity.

What emerges is not just fashion—it is a wearable mythology, rooted in the Scandinavian belief that creativity and kindness can, and should, coexist.

A Connection Rooted in Shared Heritage

At first glance, the pairing of Acne Studios, a house known for its architectural denim and minimalist deconstruction, with the whimsical Moomin world may seem an aesthetic contradiction. Yet beneath the surface lies a deep cultural synergy.

Both Acne Studios and the Moomin universe share Nordic DNA—a design ethos characterized by clarity, calmness, curiosity, and quirk. Tove Jansson, the Finnish-Swedish creator of the Moomins, was a painter, writer, and satirical cartoonist who believed deeply in nonconformity, inclusivity, and personal expression. Acne Studios, since its founding in Stockholm in 1996, has similarly built its brand around creative freedom and genderless, avant-garde styling.

This flow, then, is more than a marketing exercise. It is a dialogue between disciplines: art and apparel, childhood and adulthood, fantasy and form.

The Collection – Soft Armor for Fun Synch Spirits

The Fall/Winter 2025 Acne Studios x Moomin capsule explores themes of personal play, gentle irony, and youthful experimentation through a broad array of ready-to-wear pieces and accessories, designed to evoke wonder without sacrificing Acne’s precision craftsmanship.

Knitwear and Jersey Staples

At the heart of the capsule is a range of cosy knitwear and oversized jerseys rendered in soft wool blends, featuring large-scale Moomin character intarsias. A standout piece is the acid yellow oversized crewneck with a prominently stitched Stinky motif—cheeky, bold, and self-aware.

A baby pink cardigan embroidered with Snorkmaiden brings gentle romance to the mix, its delicate buttons and ribbed trim echoing Acne’s commitment to refined detailing.

Denim as Canvas

Acne’s signature 1981 jeans return, now bearing removable Moomin metal patches—a clever fusion of functionality and collectibility. The denim remains raw and slightly structured, serving as a subversive counterpoint to the collection’s pastel palette.

Striped shirting with contrast cuffs and hem taping showcase Acne’s talent for elevated basics, made idiosyncratic by the inclusion of Little My, who appears mid-stride in several all-over patterns.

Tees and Graphic Layers

Short-sleeve T-shirts—ideal for layering—feature scene prints drawn directly from Tove Jansson’s original illustrations. One standout design depicts the Hattifatteners marching across a black cotton base, glowing faintly in low light via embedded reflective inks.

Graphic hoodies with deconstructed hems mirror the Moomins’ offbeat worldview. The tonal Acne Studios Face logo patch, stitched just beneath the neckline, offers a subtle brand signature while allowing the character art to dominate.

Footwear and Accessories

Perhaps the most delightful items are the customisable lace-up sneakers, built on a vulcanized sole with canvas uppers and detachable Moomin charms. Buyers can swap out Little My, Snufkin, or Moomintroll patches according to mood or outfit.

Also on offer: a structured baseball cap, jacquard scarves, and silver keychains styled after Jansson’s original pen-and-ink drawings. These accessories ground the collection’s jovial-type with functionality, turning each item into a modular expression of identity.

Visual Codes and Color Language

The capsule’s color story embraces contrasts—acidic tones like neon yellow and aquamarine clash brilliantly with soft baby pink, oatmeal, and charcoal. This chromatic tension reflects the duality present in both the Moomin tales and Acne’s aesthetic: the sweet and the subversive, the gentle and the bold.

Textures play a key role too. From brushed mohair knits to garment-washed denim and crisp poplin shirting, the tactile variety encourages wearers to engage with their clothing as objects of joy.

Photography for the campaign, helmed by Johannes Helje, uses dreamlike landscapes and surreal studio setups to place the garments in an in-between world—half magical, half mundane. Moomin characters float in digital overlays, suggesting imagination as a wearable filter.

The Cultural Resonance of the Moomins

To understand the emotional pull of this collaboration, one must revisit the philosophy behind the Moomin stories. Created during the Second World War, the Moomin universe was not escapist fantasy but radical optimism. Jansson crafted a world where misfits were safe, families were chosen, and nature was sacred.

In a modern world strained by digital overload, climate anxiety, and identity debates, the Moomins speak to a need for gentleness, inclusion, and creative rebellion. Acne Studios, by channeling this ethos into clothing, offers a means of soft resistance: dressing not to impress, but to express.

Moreover, the inclusion of genderless silhouettes, interchangeable accessories, and youth-centric fits speaks directly to Gen Z values: fluidity, emotional authenticity, and storytelling through style.

Legacy, Collectibility, and the Future of Narrative Fashion

The 2025 Acne x Moomin capsule continues a trend where fashion houses become cultural archivists, resurrecting and recontextualizing the mythologies of childhood. But Acne Studios avoids kitsch. Instead, they present the Moomin characters not as relics but as icons of endurance, tenderness, and radical calm.

From a commercial perspective, the success of the 2024 drop has already fueled secondary market demand, with limited-run knitwear fetching over double its retail value on resale platforms. This new collection, especially with its removable patches and modular accessories, is poised to deepen the culture of collectibility.

More importantly, it establishes a long-term creative relationship between Acne Studios and the Moomin estate, setting the stage for future seasonal reimaginings or even larger thematic collections, possibly spanning homeware, fragrance, or digital experiences in the metaverse.

A Whimsy Manifesto Worn Boldly

At a time when fashion often feels caught between mass commercialism and performative minimalism, Acne Studios’ return to the Moomin universe offers an alternative: emotionally intelligent design, anchored in narrative depth and joy. The Fall/Winter 2025 capsule reminds us that storytelling doesn’t end with the written word—it continues through cloth, thread, and silhouette.

As wearers don a pink hoodie stitched with Snufkin, or lace up sneakers bearing the Hattifatteners, they’re not just participating in fashion—they’re inhabiting a utopia, one where misfits flourish, color has meaning, and identity is crafted with care.

Acne Studios x Moomin proves that collaboration is not imitation, but shared invention. And in doing so, it solidifies its place in the pantheon of cross-medium partnerships that elevate not just garments, but the way we understand ourselves.

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