MONDAY, I’M IN LOVE!

Forget what Robert Smith sang to you about Mondays being blue, black, and having the liberty to fall apart. This day is now cast in a new light, and you’ll no longer refer to it with that sneer thanks to Cheap Monday. This is the Swedish brand that was created by Örjan Andersson and Adam Friberg out of their second-hand clothing store in 2000, and then eventually found its stride due to its cult following of Pabst Blue Ribbon-toting tastemakers. The brand has since been given a leg up by H&M, after being bought over in 2008. While Cheap Monday's original owners have left, its essence of creating super cool clothing remains the same. CATALOG speaks to newly minted creative director, Ann-Sofie Back on their latest collection, and her thoughts on the brand’s new hefty backer.

The denim industry is constantly growing. What sets Cheap Monday apart, today, from your competition?

Cheap Monday is a proper jeans brand, but has a far more democratic price point compared to our competitors. We also offer a full wardrobe with everything from shoes and underwear to sunglasses, and cater to a younger clientele.

So would you say that Cheap Monday's pieces are made with a Swedish point of view?

I wouldn’t say that the Cheap Monday aesthetic is very Swedish; most other brands tend to be more minimalist in their approach.

Seeing that Cheap Monday has expanded to so many countries in the world, has that added new considerations to how you design your pieces? 

Cheap Monday is still a small brand to us, and I think there is a danger in trying to please everyone. So we haven’t felt a need to change the way we design. I feel that it is important we keep our unique point of view. That is our strongest asset!

Tell us about your Spring/Summer collection. What inspired it?

It is about trying to go back to a more naïve and idealistic time, maybe around when our parents were young. New ideas were taken seriously, and being naïve and compassionate were the norm.

What appeals you about this older generation character that has inspired you in the spring/summer collection?

We liked the feeling that one could change the world for the better, and the idea of living an alternate life filled with nostalgia and romanticism from the age was nice.

What are the newer denim innovations/trends that Cheap Monday might adopt, or is thinking of adopting in the future?

My lips are sealed! But keep an eye out for our future collections.

What’s the coolest experience you or your team has been brought to in search of inspiration for your pieces?

It was the Cat Café in Tokyo! Obviously this cannot be translated into denim, that's not how it works. But it was inspiring and invigorating to have experienced something that surprising.

Do you think the brand might ever go into creating a premium denim line?

We should never say never but not at this time.

How has Cheap Monday benefited from being acquired by H&M?

We’ve mostly benefited in terms of retail and production. They have expertise in these areas, and can help us. They are also sensitive to the fact that we offer something they cannot, which I think must be part of the reason why they wanted to own Cheap Monday as a brand.

Do you think it has taken away from the indie vibe and beginnings that the brand started out with?

It is impossible to stay the same and I think, personally, that we can have gained from this. We needed to grow and things would have been uninteresting if it didn’t move forward. We work very independently from H&M – we have our own offices, public relations team, and shows. For products, I think the changes that have been made to the collection would have happened in any case.

Of all the markets Cheap Monday sells to, which is your favourite, and why?

I like working with the Italians. They are very clever and business-minded, and it’s quite a mature market for us. We are different things in different markets and the Italians seem to appreciate the more fashion conscious products we have in our range. I like that they always give us a lot of feedback. I actually really like all markets. It’s also very interesting to see the changes that occur in a market when we open our own stores, like the UK and Denmark, for example.

Could you tell us the story of one of your favourite or rarest pairs of jeans?

I am not interested in rare jeans at all. At the moment my favourite pair are the Megas from our Autumn Winter ’13 collection.

Thank you Ann-Sofie! :)