The story so far...
It all started in March 2004 when the tight denim with the characteristic skull logo first hit the market.
But to tell this story correctly, we have to go back to November 2000 when Örjan, Adam and two of their friends opened a small second hand store in a Stockholm suburb. The store was called Weekend and was only open during Saturdays and Sundays. Despite its remote location, and thanks to a very good selection of garments, the store went well and the decision to team up with Lasse and open up a bigger shop in central Stockholm was taken. The store was a full-time concept, open every day of the week, and therefore got the name Weekday.
From the start they carried high-fashion and exclusive denim brands mixed with second hand clothing — a blend that attracted young, trendy Stockholmers.
Some of the denim sold in the shop was very expensive and Örjan felt there was a need for cheaper, but still fashionable jeans. The first style ‘Tight’ was born, at this point made exclusively as an in-store brand. An unwashed, very tight fitted stretch denim jean for a shockingly good price! It was an immediate success and the first 800 pairs sold out in a couple of weeks. The skull logo was made by their friends Björn and Karl who had helped them with the imagery for the store.
In January 2005, Cheap Monday was developed into a brand with a full scale collection and the distribution was extended to selected stores in Sweden as well as abroad. A new company, Weekday Brands, was established by the three companions Örjan Andersson (design), Adam Friberg (production and code of conduct) and Lasse Karlsson (economy and establishing strategies), together with Sanna Atldax (design), Karl Grandin and Björn Atldax (graphics and marketing). In April 2005 the first order for a non-Weekday shop left Sweden.
Our idea is still to offer the customer fashion at an extremely good price. We want to put Cheap Monday alongside more expensive brands, in good stores where we want to shop ourselves. We are aiming to create clothes that compete with high-end brands both in attitude and fashion-level as well as in quality.
Without traditional marketing but with a strong idea on how to present the brand, Cheap Monday can today be found in 28 countries and in 1000 stores all over the world. With agents and distributors in Europe, USA, Japan, Australia, Canada and The Middle East, Cheap Monday is now ready to take the next step as an international brand.
From the first delivery of 800 pairs in March 2004, the production for 2007 has reached a new level.