FAQ

1978 Opening of the first multi-brand sportswear store FIJSCHI'S in Vienna. The NEUMANN, TRANSIT, MAX KOWALSKY and EMIL stores soon followed.

The first branches were opened in 1988 under the name BLAUMAX. Initially as a multi-brand jeans specialist. At the beginning of the 90s, the first jeans and tops designed by BLAUMAX were introduced. Today only our own collection is offered in the BLAUMAX branches.

In 2007, BLAUMAX began selling its collection wholesale. Today BLAUMAX is available at over 500 points of sale in Europe and Australia.

BLAUMAX fashion is recognizable; the style: puristic, the message: interpret yourself - the pieces from BLAUMAX offer you the opportunity to do so. Art, culture and zeitgeist flow into the collections, but do not dominate them. The healthy measure, the perfect balance, stylistic sustainability - that's what defines BLAUMAX. Our customers love this authentic attitude.

Don't talk, act! In a time characterized by stinginess and waste, it is important to maintain our composure. Every month, every week, every day. That's why we continue to implement projects that have a positive impact on living standards, freedom, health and the environment, from organic farming to fair pay. Visit our branches and “feel” how sustainably the BLAUMAX brand ticks.

Living BLAUMAX means pursuing visions: such as switching from conventional natural fibers to products from ecological production. There are not many “new” areas yet, but pressure from brands and consumers will give organic farming a real boost.

Ecologically correct cotton products receive the note from us: BLAUMAX ORGANIC COTTON. For natural fiber products that are not certified, care has been taken to meet our standards, but compliance has not yet been confirmed. A test will follow.

Looking ahead: Despite our small company size, we want to make a difference. Working conditions, pay and satisfaction of plantation workers and industrial workers must be improved. We therefore extend our hand to the FAIR TRADE concept. With small but credible measures.

India is the largest organic cotton producer. 74.3% of total production comes from there. China (10.5%), Turkey (6.8%), Tanzania (3.1%) and the USA (2.1%) follow. Together, these five countries produce 96.8% of the world's organic cotton (source TW from June 3, 2015).

How big is the proportion of organic cotton in total cotton production?

The fiber content of conventionally grown cotton in textiles is around 38 percent worldwide. However, the global share of organic cotton is tiny – 0.1%. Let's stand up together - consumers and fashion brands have it in their hands to increase the proportion of organic cotton in total cotton production.

The demands on the technical behavior of textiles have increased - which is why synthetic fibers are indispensable for many product groups. We require suppliers to only supply us with yarn that has a certificate that is comprehensible and valid for us. We prefer products that comply with the OEKO-TEX100 or GOTS standard. We also pay attention to nickel-free metal accessories. Metals must not be exposed to harmful substances during the treatment processes.

Be careful when it comes to animal raw materials: BLAUMAX only buys down from certified production (China Feather and Down Industrial Association, Non Live-Plucked Products Guarantee). There they are only obtained by plucking. Together with many other fashion brands, we are committed to banning live plucking by law.

“No compromises” is our motto here too! Ethical standards are a must from production to sale. Therefore, BLAUMAX selects its production sites extremely carefully. We reject factories in countries with poor working conditions. Rather, we focus our production on countries that are easily accessible and can be visited regularly. Europe is home, Europe is our brand. Therefore, large parts of our range are created in small factories on our continent. BLAUMAX's goal is to only work with companies that have ISO 9000 certification (quality management) or comparable standards. The Asian production facilities are located around Hong Kong to ensure effective monitoring. The situation is similar with production in Turkey, which takes place in Istanbul and the surrounding area.

BLAUMAX is international – both in sales and in production. The tops are made in Portugal – with southern passion. If we travel east, we can marvel at blouses, sweaters, skirts and dresses produced in northern Italy and Turkey. Down jackets and part of the knitted collection are made in China. BLAUMAX has been working with the same two responsibly operated production facilities for 19 years.

We would like to join you in making a statement against the throwaway society: with products that provide fun for more than just one season. How it works? Through the highest demands in design and material selection.

People are consuming more than ever before, so the amount of packaging waste is increasing. We say stop! BLAUMAX has reduced the amount of plastic packaging to the bare minimum and used recyclable paper carrier bags. Our hunger for new solutions is far from satisfied: the latest project is reusable granulate bags that are biodegradable. The highlight: The durable shopping bags can be reused hundreds of times and are 100% compostable when disposed of. Thumbs up: The ecological footprint shrinks to a minimum.

Sure, you think for yourself and think outside the box. Us too; So here are some helpful links on the topics that concern our world. Never lose motivation to continue to educate yourself and maintain your poise.

https://www.nachhaltigkeit.info/artikel/nachhaltigkeitsstandards_in_der_mode_1775.htm

www.global-standard.org
www.iso.org
www.fairtrade-deutschland.de
www.oekotex.de
www.fairwear.org
www.fair-zieh-an.de
www.naturtextil.de

Look forward to a great selection: We offer jeans in lengths between 30 and 36 inches. Our friendly, competent staff will be happy to help you with any specific requests you may have. As a wholesaler, you can find further information on the BLAUMAX B2B platform under the Wholesale button.

In fact, denim shrinks. While barely prewashed jeans (“darkwashed”) become up to 2.5 cm shorter, heavily prewashed jeans (“stonewashed”) remain quite stable in length.

Please do not wash your BLAUMAX jeans above 40° C.

Difficult topic, easy solution: Turn your jeans inside out before washing. Use liquid colored detergents without optical brighteners - this will preserve the colors. Together we'll take the right path, okay? So: choose ecologically correct detergents.

Cupro, or artificial silk, is similar to viscose. However, the material is clearly superior in appearance and feel. In addition, cupro fibers are breathable, moisture-binding and do not become statically charged. Due to the high production costs caused by extensive environmental protection regulations, the smooth, shiny material is being used less and less. BLAUMAX thinks differently - and sources cupro yarns exclusively from yarn manufacturers who can demonstrate Oeko-Tex Standard 100.

Modal fibers - also similar to viscose - consist of 100 percent cellulose and are made from natural pulp. The basis for the production of modal fibers is beech wood. Through a special process, higher fiber strength and improved fiber properties are achieved with the modal fibers. The modal fiber also has high moisture absorption and dries quickly. Modal fibers are biodegradable. Less energy and water are used to grow it than cotton. Another plus: the herbicides and pesticides used when growing cotton are eliminated.

Tencel fibers are obtained from the raw material wood. The environment is happy: Compared to other regenerated fibers, the manufacturing process is significantly less stressful due to the environmentally friendly solvent and closed material cycle.

Respect, very diverse: Tencel is mostly used in conjunction with other fibers and is used, among other things, for fashion clothing, sportswear, underwear and bed linen. It also shines as a nonwoven material for hygiene and cosmetic items. Tencel fibers are characterized by high dry and wet strength; they are soft and absorb moisture. The result: textiles with a smooth, cool feel that hardly crease.

With the Tencel fiber, Lenzing established a production process several years ago that meets the highest sustainability criteria due to its renewable raw material wood and low-emission production in closed circuits. Lenzing now offers new CO2-free lyocell and modal fibers under the Tencel brand, which are certified as CarbonNeutral products.