One of the most significant moments of my professional life came twenty years ago, when I was
presented with a golden opportunity. I had met Jonny Johansson, the visionary founder of Acne
Studios, and we struck a resounding accord – a friendship which came to a crescendo with this
magazine. Thinking back, it is a reminder that, sometimes, a single brilliant moment can change
everything.
Acne Paper’s twentieth-anniversary edition, Golden, is not only a celebration of our journey from
2005 to 2025, but more symbolically a reflection on a creative project that, at least for us, is
worth its weight in gold. In this collection of fashion stories, essays, interviews and art portfolios,
we invite you to explore our golden theme, a subject that has both shaped and reflected
humanity for millennia. Because gold, in all its radiant glory, has always held a special place in
our collective imagination. On one hand, it is the embodiment of the darker sides of human
nature – its lustre often mirroring our most questionable desires and the lengths to which we will
go to possess it. But on the other, gold is an enduring symbol of hope, beauty, and the divine. It
reminds us of what is eternal, what transcends time, and what will always survive.
In a time when uncertainty looms and shadows stretch long, we have chosen to surround
ourselves with the warmth of hope. The stories within these pages celebrate a brightness that
reaches across history and throughout the world – from the mysteries of ancient civilisations to
the most imaginative artistic creativity of today. Gold, both the colour and the material, has
served as our guide – a thread weaving through this issue’s exploration of faith, resilience and
values.
Each contributor to this issue, whether a rising star or an established master, has poured their
vision into this shared theme, creating a mosaic of inspiration that speaks about transformative
power. Gold, unlike any other material, has the ability to radiate a warm, glowing light. And when
viewed by the flickering flame of a candle, it shimmers with life. Welcome to our golden
symphony.