Acne is a very strange name indeed for a fashion house, don’t you think? It’s supposedly an acronym for Ambition to Create Novel Expression, but anyway the Swedish company founded in 1996 by four creative sorts is proof that if you do something well enough you can pull off any dodgy moniker. Just look at Benedict Cumberbatch. Acne is thriving, as it happens, and has just opened its second London store at 93 Pelham Road, Brompton Cross. Very nice it is too.

Following Jonny Johansson’s minimalist visions for Rue Froissart, Paris and their debut Asian outlet in Aoyama – the brand’s creative director continues his sparse smattering of clothes and harsh architectural beauty. Cynics may shout that the unwavering Scandinavian minimalism is purely to snap some pictures of the neat design work before the racks are filled, but Johansson is a man with unfaltering vision, and when you’ve got over 2,000 square feet to play with you can afford to spread out a bit. The major standout here is of course the aluminium panelling on the walls and columns, sometimes perforated, sometimes brushed, which gives a super smart sheen to the place. Oh, and if limited edition silk scarves are your thing, a batch of 300 has been designed by Acne’s creative director to mark the store opening and is being sold there right now.