Working heavily with sportswear and military technology, Hugh and Sachenbacher developed an interest in applying them to everyday attire. In between their consulting work, Hugh and Sachenbacher planned out the scope and identity of ACRONYM as an independent label. The design process for the first products took 2 years and were not released until 2002.

ACRONYM was founded in 1999 as a legal entity by Errolson Hugh and Michaela Sachenbacher. Before ACRONYM created their own products, the company operated as a design agency offering consulting services to the activewear industry. They began working with a German snowboarding company called Protective, which lead them to a role with Burton Snowboards. Their relationship with Burton was a fruitful one that lasted nearly 14 years. At Burton, Hugh helped bring uncompromising technical innovations to traditional snowboarding gear. He describes their working relationship as a positive one: "Burton was great because they were so irreverent. Snowboarding's inherently technical. You need the protection, you need the performance for the activity, but it's got such a punk rock spirit to it. There was never an idea that was too crazy."

The founders, Errolson Hugh and Michaela Sachenbacher, have stated ACRONYM is run more like an elite guerrilla military unit than a traditional clothing company. While the brand has reached new heights of popularity and brand awareness, its existence is an unlikely result of an ambitious founding vision and intensive design process.

ACRONYM maintains a relatively small operation, but is able to exert massive influence on the fashion and sportswear industries. The small team is actually a source of strength and the company prides itself on their ability to quickly innovate and react to new technologies or production methods. This uncompromising approach is how the team is able to make some of the best technical apparel for everyday life on the market today.

It is difficult to have a worthwhile conversation about techwear without bringing up ACRONYM . The Berlin-based label has come to define modern techwear and has introduced countless innovations to the field. Despite little to nothing in the way of traditional marketing, ACRONYM has rightfully earned a devoted international following.

Kit-001

While most fashion labels start with a collection, ACRONYM's very first product was a complete experience distilled into a single comprehensive product. Dubbed the "KIT-001" and released in 2002, the set included a jacket, a bag, a soundtrack, software, catalogues and even concept art. KIT-001 was only released in a limited quantity of 120 units and sold at carefully selected shops like Colette in Paris. KIT-001 was an ambitious first product and, in retrospect, perfectly showcased the core DNA of ACRONYM design: attention to detail, maximum utility and a futuristic aesthetic that blends militaristic designs with a sleek science fiction minimalism. The release of KIT-001 was decidedly under the radar with only few carefully placed magazines to assist with promotion. KIT-001 was a showpiece product and the ACRONYM team wanted it to speak for itself. The product was lauded by prominent figures in the streetwear and sportswear industries.

Brand Aesthetic and Innovation

There are many properties that can embody the ACRONYM aesthetic: It's sleek, futuristic, tough and functional. Like a stealth bomber, some of the brand's functionality is hidden by it's surface level minimalism.

Despite extremely minimal website and branding, there are some pretty varied influences that make their way into the ACRONYM product. From their videos, it appears stylized sci-fi films and anime are major sources of inspiration. Another key input into the ACRONYM formula is how martial arts play a role in the brand design and identity. The films that the label regularly releases each season are dubbed "ACRONYMJUTSU." The clips show the different functionality of each garment in quick succession, performed similar to how one might pull off a martial arts move. This part of the brand extends to Hugh's own childhood. He states, "I started karate when I was 10, and I was given the traditional karate uniform, the gi, which is a very Japanese form of pattern-making. Right after that I realized, 'Wow, I can do things in this suit I can't do in my regular clothes.' That's always informed Acronym.”

It's no wonder that articulation and movement are such a consideration for so many of ACRONYM's products. The brand's design process itself can be best described as iterative. Each product is reviewed on a regular basis and the team constantly tweaks the details, features and fit of each garment, a process that was referenced in a recent video from the brand. This constant tweaking of existing products mean that even old favorites can be re-designed and likely improved upon each season.

Outside of merely improving existing designs, ACRONYM has been a pioneer when it comes to adding new functionality in the realm of techwear. While at its most basic level, techwear serves to keep the wearer dry, ACRONYM pieces often feature more specific proprietary features, many of which are patented. A few are listed below:

Jacketsling - Gives the wearer the ability to carry the jacket with an attached strap/sling.

Gravity Pocket - An internal sleeve pocket that can hold items, like a smartphone, that allows the wearer to eject the item when needed.

Sound Forcelock - A hidden magnetic function near the collar to hold earbuds in place while wearing the jacket.

Interops - Allows the user to easily remove or put on outerwear without removing their bag first. Also allows an interops bag to be stowed on the inside of the jacket.

EscapeZip - Allows the wearer to quickly unzip the jacket with one quick pull.