Swedish Designer Makes Waves With Satanic Jeans

SVZ · December 28th, 2005, 12:16 PM

Swedish Designer Makes Waves With Satanic Jeans

BORAS, Sweden (RNS) A Satanic logo, with a cross turned upside down on the forehead of a skull, has increased sales of a new jeans line among Swedish teens.

-- Simon Reeves

piperdiva · December 29th, 2005, 06:40 PM

got a picture?

buttmunch · December 30th, 2005, 10:35 AM

Quote:

STOCKHOLM, Sweden — Cheap Monday jeans are a hot commodity among young Swedes thanks to their trendy tight fit and low price, even if a few buyers are turned off by the logo: a skull with a cross turned upside down on its forehead.

Logo designer Bjorn Atldax says he's not just trying for an antiestablishment vibe.

"It is an active statement against Christianity," Atldax told The Associated Press. "I'm not a Satanist myself, but I have a great dislike for organized religion."

The label's makers say it's more of a joke, but Atldax insists his graphic designs have a purpose beyond selling denim: to make young people question Christianity, a "force of evil" that he blames for sparking wars throughout history.

In more religious countries, that might raise a furious response, maybe even prompt retailers to drop the brand.

Not in Sweden, a secular country that cherishes its free speech and where churchgoing has been declining for decades.

Cheap Mondays are flying off the shelves at 400 kronor (about $50) a pair. Makers say about 200,000 pairs have been sold since March 2004 — and little attention has been paid to the grinning skull and dark texts such as "Over My Dead Body."

Even the predominant Lutheran Church of Sweden reacts with a shrug.

"I don't think it's much to be horrified about," said Bo Larsson, director of the Church of Sweden's department of Education, Research and Culture.

"It is abundantly clear that this designer wants to create public opinion against the Christian faith ... but I believe that the way to deal with this is to start a discussion about what religion means."

Out in the parishes, however, some Christians believe that approach is too soft.

"One cannot just keep quiet about this," said the Rev. Karl-Erik Nylund, vicar of St. Mary Magdalene Church in Stockholm. "This is a deliberate provocation (against Christians) and I object to that."

Nylund complained that Swedish companies do not treat Christianity with the same respect in marketing that they afford other religions.

"No one wants to provoke Jews or Muslims, but it's totally OK to provoke Christians," he said.

Some buyers have ripped off the Cheap Monday labels, or even returned the jeans once they realized what the logo represents. But such cases are very few, said Orjan Andersson, the creator of the brand, who doesn't take Atldax' message too seriously.

"I don't believe in neither the devil nor God. I'm not interested in religion," he said. "I'm more interested in that the logo looks good."

Henrik Petersson, 26, said he picked up his first pair of Cheap Monday jeans a few months after they were launched because he liked their punk-rocker style and the logo caught his eye.

"I think it's a cool thing. It stands out from the rest," he said. "I haven't really reflected over whether there is an underlying message."

Martin Sundberg, a 32-year-old co-owner of a clothing store in Stockholm's trendy SoFo district, said he didn't think the logo has a "deeper meaning."

"It's just supposed to be a bit of fun, some kind of anti-culture," he said.

Cheap Mondays have started to sell abroad. The jeans are being shipped to Norway, Denmark, Britain, the Netherlands, France and Australia. Andersson said they're working on introducing them in the United States and elsewhere.

And he did not expect the ungodly logo to get in the way.

"Surely, most people understand that we are not evil people," he said, laughing. "My mom doesn't think so at least."

source: AP

SVZ · December 30th, 2005, 12:55 PM

STOCKHOLM, Sweden - Cheap Monday jeans are a hot commodity among young Swedes thanks to their trendy tight fit and low price, even if a few buyers are turned off by the logo: a skull with a cross turned upside down on its forehead.

Logo designer Bjorn Atldax says he's not just trying for an antiestablishment vibe.

"It is an active statement against Christianity," Atldax told The Associated Press. "I'm not a Satanist myself, but I have a great dislike for organized religion."

The label's makers say it's more of a joke, but Atldax insists his graphic designs have a purpose beyond selling denim: to make young people question Christianity, a "force of evil" that he blames for sparking wars throughout history.

In more religious countries, that might raise a furious response, maybe even prompt retailers to drop the brand.

Not in Sweden, a secular country that cherishes its free speech and where churchgoing has been declining for decades.

Cheap Mondays are flying off the shelves at 400 kronor (about $50) a pair. Makers say about 200,000 pairs have been sold since March 2004 — and little attention has been paid to the grinning skull and dark texts such as "Over My Dead Body."

Even the predominant Lutheran Church of Sweden reacts with a shrug.

"I don't think it's much to be horrified about," said Bo Larsson, director of the Church of Sweden's department of Education, Research and Culture.

"It is abundantly clear that this designer wants to create public opinion against the Christian faith ... but I believe that the way to deal with this is to start a discussion about what religion means."

Out in the parishes, however, some Christians believe that approach is too soft.

"One cannot just keep quiet about this," said the Rev. Karl-Erik Nylund, vicar of St. Mary Magdalene Church in Stockholm. "This is a deliberate provocation (against Christians) and I object to that."

Nylund complained that Swedish companies do not treat Christianity with the same respect in marketing that they afford other religions.

"No one wants to provoke Jews or Muslims, but it's totally OK to provoke Christians," he said.

Some buyers have ripped off the Cheap Monday labels, or even returned the jeans once they realized what the logo represents. But such cases are very few, said Orjan Andersson, the creator of the brand, who doesn't take Atldax' message too seriously.

"I don't believe in neither the devil nor God. I'm not interested in religion," he said. "I'm more interested in that the logo looks good."

Henrik Petersson, 26, said he picked up his first pair of Cheap Monday jeans a few months after they were launched because he liked their punk-rocker style and the logo caught his eye.

"I think it's a cool thing. It stands out from the rest," he said. "I haven't really reflected over whether there is an underlying message."

Martin Sundberg, a 32-year-old co-owner of a clothing store in Stockholm's trendy SoFo district, said he didn't think the logo has a "deeper meaning."

"It's just supposed to be a bit of fun, some kind of anti-culture," he said.

Cheap Mondays have started to sell abroad. The jeans are being shipped to Norway, Denmark, Britain, the Netherlands, France and Australia. Andersson said they're working on introducing them in the United States and elsewhere.

And he did not expect the ungodly logo to get in the way.

"Surely, most people understand that we are not evil people," he said, laughing. "My mom doesn't think so at least."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051230/..._devil_s_denim

buttmunch · December 30th, 2005, 03:29 PM

I think this is hilarious, although the guy who made the point about Christians being fair game while Jews, Muslims and other religions are not has a point. But it's still funny.

Barbara · December 30th, 2005, 04:09 PM

Quote:

"No one wants to provoke Jews or Muslims, but it's totally OK to provoke Christians,"

As a Christian, this is an aspect that really annoys me.
I wish they would promote something instead of bashing Christianity. That would be positive. I'm bored of all those people who just want to be "against" because it's "cool".

teemu · December 30th, 2005, 04:13 PM

http://www.zoovillage.com/fi/store/b...sp?BrandID=265

Luna · December 30th, 2005, 07:05 PM

LOL OMG I would have been SO wearing these jeans during my teen Satanic phase. I was Goth before Goth.

tofucheesecake · December 30th, 2005, 09:14 PM

Those Scandinavians are quite innovative. Weren't they the ones with the art display of fish in a blender that patrons were supposed to blend?

FierceKiten · December 30th, 2005, 09:18 PM

I like them

phishtickie · December 31st, 2005, 04:50 AM

HAHA i particularly like the swedish director of church of swedens department of blah blah quote! Thats so swedish!
Not to mention that the logo looks more like a mexican day of the dead cacricature than a "satanic" symbol... hehe
You just cant repress peoples rights to speak their mind, no matter what that is in Sweden!

buttmunch · January 1st, 2006, 01:02 PM

Interesting thing about Sweden: they have more official religious holidays than just about anyone yet few people are observant. Also, you are automatically enrolled in the Lutheran Church at birth or when you take citizenship and have to fill out a special form requesting out, which goes over really, really well with the non-christian community, as you can imagine.

FierceKiten · January 1st, 2006, 02:47 PM

Quote:

Interesting thing about Sweden: they have more official religious holidays than just about anyone yet few people are observant. Also, you are automatically enrolled in the Lutheran Church at birth or when you take citizenship and have to fill out a special form requesting out, which goes over really, really well with the non-christian community, as you can imagine.

Hmmm very interesting buttmunch, I guess they would hunt me down and call me the anti-christ if I came there walked over their papers.

phishtickie · January 2nd, 2006, 06:06 AM

haha they dont make you join the protestant church when you take the citizenship! That would be a bit silly. Basically you become a protestant as a baby when you get baptized. If youre not baptised then you dont HAVE to be protestant. The only time ive heard of anyone filling out a form to request out of the church was with a woman who is a friend of ours, who opted out of the church because she pretty much was less than excited that she had to pay a little more in tax for the church... so if youre taken out of the church, you dont have to pay that extra little bit. Trust me, with all the muslim people in Sweden, there would have been a huge upheaval if they made you a protestant when you got the citizenship!The church and the state are as separated as it gets.
Sorry to chime in to anything that has to do with Sweden lately! I do have the official reference (the fiance) sitting next to me for consultation though..