At almost 30, Acne Studios is well past the stage of growing pains. After struggling to shed its early image as a pure denim player, the label has found its groove: no longer an outsider, but not quite establishment either.

Creative director Jonny Johansson is happy with this status. “With age, you in some way have to realize who you are, and I think we carved out a path,” he said.

As the brand prepares to celebrate its big anniversary next year, he’s even allowed himself to grow a little nostalgic. His spring menswear collection was peppered with references to its founding decade, the ‘90s, as well as Johansson’s formative years, the ‘70s.

It made for a surprisingly streamlined offering, with the designer exploring a geeky, confident attitude rooted in vintage sportswear. Think stretch jersey shirts, skinny biker jackets and narrow, cropped pants worn with square-toed ankle boots.

Describing the mood as “cool and unbothered,” Johansson said he was inspired by Elvis, the youngest of his three sons. “He was a seed, and now he’s becoming a flower,” he said, proudly flashing a picture of the youngster performing on stage with his band.

He revisited some archival looks, like a perfect gray bomber jacket that came with a button-on tag featuring the brand’s 1996 logo. There were updated versions of its skinny jean with thigh patches, now done in nylon or pinstriped denim. “We sold tons of it the first years,” he mused.

Johansson is also prepping some reeditions for next year, but in the meantime, he continued to push the envelope with new treatments, such as stretchy denim coated with latex, or trompe-l’oeil patched and shredded jeans covered in duct tape — proof that this denim pro is finally comfortable in his skin.