It all started in March 2004 when the tight denim with the characteristic skull logo first hit the market. Back in November 2000 when Örjan Andersson, Adam Friberg 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 Karlsson and open up a bigger shop in central Stockholm was made. The store was a full-time concept, open every day of the week, and therefore got the name Weekday. From the start Weekday carried high-fashion and exclusive denim brands mixed with second hand clothing – a blend that attracted young, trendy Stockholmers. The first Cheap Monday style ‘Tight’ was born, at this point made exclusively as an in-store brand. It was an immediate success and the first 800 pairs sold out in a couple of weeks. The skull logo was made by Örjans’ friends Björn Atldax and Karl Grandin who previously had helped out with the imagery for the two stores.

In January 2005, Cheap Monday was developed into a brand with full scale collections and the distribution was extended to selected stores in Sweden as well as abroad. Today Cheap Monday carry main collections for men and women as well as three in-season drops/season. The collections also include baby, accessories, glasses, underwear and shoes. In 2008 the brand joined forces with H&M. Cheap Monday can today be found in more than 35 countries in about 1800 stores all over the world. Despite the fast growth of their original idea still remains: to offer their customers pieces that compete with high-end brands both in attitude and fashion-level as well as in quality – always at an extremely good price.Look by Ashley JoncasNow, more than ever, fashion is churned out and consumed at an incessant rate and we're inundated with incongruous collaborations between ill-matched brands, created for commercial gain. So it's refreshing to come across a collaborative collection, thoughtfully developed over two years, painstakingly made by hand, and consisting of just 150 pieces in total, for a project that is not driven by volume but instead by artistic integrity.

This spring, London-based design favourite Faustine Steinmetz has teamed up with cult Swedish denim brand Cheap Monday for a covetable capsule collection made up of eight items, including jackets, jeans, T-shirts and a backpack, all of which are unisex and focus on two main concepts: merino wool felting, carefully crafted in Germany, and fabric pulling. rmu hoodieThe unique pulled weave pieces were handmade in the Stockholm Cheap Monday office by two artisans over a period of four weeks and the fabric can be further pulled by hand to make your own individual shape. womens mossy oak camo sweatpantsTalk about the opposite of disposable, thoughtless, fast fashion – and we couldn't be more into it.north face half dome hoodie clearance

With this Cheap Monday collaboration, Steinmetz was particularly excited to tap into a slightly new audience with a more accessible collection that will touch people who can't quite afford her eponymous label but as the quantity of pieces is so limited, you better hotfoot it to the checkout fast. razer hoodie philippinesWe caught up with Steinmetz and Cheap Monday's Carl Malmgren to find out how it came to fruition and the inspiration behind the line.mountain lodge hoodyFaustine, you wore Cheap Mondays as a teen but when did your love of denim begin?zweifarbige hoodiesFaustine:How did the collaboration come about and what was the starting point for the collection?flannelette hoodies

Faustine: Denim is really having a moment in fashion with brands like yourself and Vetements transforming it from wardrobe staple to luxury, directional piece. Are you concerned by how 'trendy' denim is at the moment and do you feel pressure being labelled one of the 'hottest designers du jour'?Faustine:Carl:With such a focus on craftsmanship and an ethical approach, do you find it difficult working in an industry that is so fast and driven by disposable consumerism?Faustine:Carl: Carl, can you tell us a bit about the process of finding and working with Faustine? Why was she the perfect fit for the brand? Carl:Cheap Monday launched over a decade ago. What do you think has been the key to its success? Carl: This project is about trying to find new ways and not to be too comfortable, to constantly look forward. I feel very inspired by this project and part of our success story as Cheap Monday is about always looking towards the future but also making garments for your friends. I don’t aim for a certain celebrity or personality which is where a democratic aspect comes in;

it's totally wearable and I’m most happy when I see my friends wearing stuff that I make, that’s the benefit for me. With denim, if you can find a fit you like, you constantly come back to it and never take it off. I buy a pair of jeans and then I wear them until I can't wear them anymore. I think that’s what’s interesting with denim – you can have a real love affair with it.Faustine: And you only really have that with denim. I think it's because – if you want to – you can wear the same pair of jeans over and over again and style with anything.Who, of anyone in fashion history, past or present, do you think wears denim best? Carl: I like when you watch a show and the designer comes out after all the beautiful creations have appeared on the catwalk and he or she is wearing just a sloppy tee and jeans. I don’t have a particular muse or icon... it would be more the music scene and the subcultures coming from there. Maybe Andy Warhol, he was always wearing black denim.Follow Cheap Monday on Instagram @cheapmondayFollow Faustine Steinmetz @faustinesteinmetzThe collection is available now at Cheap Monday as well as K3 in Japan and Opening Ceremony in New York.