While the upside-down cross and skull logo on Cheap Monday jeans out of Sweden has stirred controversy among more religious groups globally, most denim consumers in youth culture markets don’t care. The jeans have sold more than 200,000 pairs since last year this time. But when the story first broke on the AP wires about the designer Bjorn Atldax’s stand against organized religion, it caused some to think perhaps Cheap Monday jeans’ logo was more about selling denim than anything else.

Atldax made it clear that his design “Is an active statement against Christianity,” which he also believes is a “force of evil” that he blames for sparking wars throughout history, according to the latest AP story on the topic.

Meanwhile, Cheap Monday is the latest in disposable fashion trends across Europe (see also "Disposable Fashion Trends in Europe story and Label Lab Newsletter) whereby the fashionable jeans offered at $50 have attracted young people to buy them in droves. Cheap Monday denim is known mostly for its super slim fit and stretchy characteristics, but it’s not the tightly woven, high-end Japanese denim found in, say WE jeans.

However those who simply love Cheap Monday jeans like the punker look of the logo, slim fit, and the price. The fact that the design may be anti-Christian doesn’t matter as much to the actual consumers as it does to those riled by the symbolism.

According to Label Networks’ field research reporter in Stockholm, it’s not surprising that such popularity for this type of jean has taken shape, especially in the “SoFo” area which was originally a working class, beer joint, pool-hall area, re-fashioned as a rather trendy hang-out for young people. In terms of religion, Label’s reporter explains, “I do not think Swedes generally are against religion, however religion is not a big thing. It is considered a peripheral thing. This comes from Sweden being such a "practical" country in all aspects. Sweden is a country that believes in humans. That all that we have are ourselves and that everything comes from humans, including the idea of "God," "Allah," "Shiva" or whatever. The bible was written by humans.

“I think there are more people in Sweden who proscribes to this than anywhere else, but there are also a lot of churches. What has been happening for the last 10 years is that people have been moving away from the traditional churches and towards "new" churches--"free churches.”

Now that Cheap Monday is being sold in other Scandinavian countries, the UK, France, and Australia, for a jean designer, the correlation between religion and denim does give the brand a different story. However the big test will be when they come to United States, which according to the brand creator Orjan Andersson they are currently working on. We’ll let you know what happens then.