The Acne Studios cofounder’s love of surfing dictates both his travels and his designs.
I don’t travel light. I carry two Rimowa suitcases—one for clothing and one for shoes—because I like how they change and get dinged after each trip. And I listen to music to escape the fact that I am on a plane; flying is not my favorite thing to do.
I learned to surf a few years ago. As soon as I tried it I was hooked. For our Spring/ Summer 2016 men’s collection, we worked with Robin Kegel, who makes amazing boards, on jumpsuits that showcase his graphic designs of waves and circles.
We have three Acne Archive stores, in Stockholm, Oslo, and Copenhagen, with pieces from previous collections. We often get requests for older items, and this way we can still offer them to our customers. It’s a bit like a treasure hunt.
In Stockholm, where I’m based, I go to Bacchus Antik and Svenskt Tenn for furniture and graphic design. In London, I love Claridge’s Fumoir bar, with its burgundy-colored walls. And in New York, I go to Saturdays to check out the surfboards and have a coffee.
My favorite place to surf is Torö. It’s a one-hour drive from Stockholm and has a rocky beach with scary black water. I also like Encinitas, California, where I stay on Neptune Avenue, close to Beacon’s Beach. For our next family trip, we’ll go to Costa Rica for more surfing. Because I hate flying, I tend to limit myself to places that have activities I love.
