It was Sex and the City’s Carrie Bradshaw who once waxed poetic about a woman’s close relationship to handbags, declaring: “It’s just a little bag yet we feel naked in public without it.”
No doubt Charli XCX would also agree with Bradshaw, as the “Brat” singer stars in a new head-turning Acne Studios campaign that features her posing topless behind a series of bags.
The imagery, which dropped on Thursday, November 14, includes scene-stealing shots of the singer in the Spring 2025 collection. Photographed by artist Talia Chetrit in Los Angeles, Charli clutches the latest It accessories, including the Bowlina leather bag. A playful and luxurious expression of craftsmanship, it has a unique curved silhouette and a gleaming finish.
In one photo, Charli hugs the jet-back version as she reclines next to a vintage car while clad in the brand’s covetable painted trompe-l’œil jeans. In another shot, she lounges casually in menswear-inspired white briefs while cuddling up next to the same carrier in powder pink.
Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock — although if you’re a brat yourself, this is probably because you’re sleeping off the night before — you’ll know that we’re all having a brat summer. The term, which has snowballed out of Charli XCX’s instantly iconic album, Brat, basically represents a party lifestyle that isn’t try-hard. […]
Elsewhere, Charli rocks a pair of iridescent wide-leg denim and flat pointed-toe boots while holding up the metallic Multipocket bag for the camera. With intricate knotted lacing and jeans-inspired rivets on the pockets, the shiny silver shoulder tote has a gleaming laminated finish that mirrors her statement jeans.
The brand also dressed Charli in custom looks for her Sweat Tour with Troye Sivan as well as throughout her promotional tour for the new and remix album.
“I’ve been wearing Acne Studios forever in my personal life, and the brand has become a really important part of this album, too,” Charli said, noting that she also wore the brand while she wrote the lyrics. “Their clothes are effortless and cool and always make me feel confident.”
Acne Studios creative director Jonny Johansson added that “[Charli’s] ability to bring a new perspective and push boundaries in an authentic way is something she does very naturally.” Johansson continued: “She makes pop music, but she also has something pretty punk about her. Her influence is a bit like a mood shift. Ultimately, she makes space for artists to be a bit more daring.”
Charli’s latest move will surely move artists and fashion fans to dare and invest in a new bag (or several).
