Swedish fashion brand Acne has gained its first foothold in the Asian marketplace with this new store in Aoyama, Tokyo. As we’ve seen from the label at its Parisian outlet, Acne isn’t one to do anything so gauche as to clutter up its retail spaces with products, although admittedly there are a few more items on show for the Japanese consumers. I think I can see a pair of jeans in the corner over there…

In concept, Acne was looking to recreate a Swedish home at the 260sqm, three-storey venue – not a typical traditional home, but more a home that brand founder Jonny Johansson would design if he were given a blank canvas. The colour scheme and materials have been carefully thought out to emulate Swedish environmental characteristics; for example the blue granite was chosen to reflect Scandinavian summer light.

Opaque partitions half obfuscate, half reveal – “a sort of sexy Swedish thing” says Johanssen. Filthy bunch, the Swedes, but they do know good design…