Our Story
A little of the history of the Blue Man bikini and Blue Man swim trunks:
"I know how to do two things in life, manage, and order. I am not a stylist, nor would I like to be one. I am much more concerned with maintaining the ideology of my company: being Brazilian and keeping the Ipanema vibe." David Azulay doesn't even have a stylist's physique. However, he is one of the main responsible for the strong Brazilian tradition in the beach fashion world.
The beginnings
The story that began in the 70s on the mystical Ipanema beach took David and his brother Simão through the streets of Paris, Milan and New York. A successful adventure, born of a competition between brothers. David landed in Rio de Janeiro in 1967, to "escape the detained life of Belém". He was 12 years old and was accompanied by his seamstress mother and his older brother, Simão Azulay. Simão overflowed with that much-needed charisma in the world of fashion. “Simão has always had a strong connection to fashion,” said David. “I, on the other hand, had no vocation, it was as if I leaned on my brother. I didn't want to study and I thought: 'If Simão is a doctor I will have a hospital, if he is an architect I will be the builder...' It was more or less like this. He knew that he couldn't handle success alone, he didn't handle money or power well. He knew that he was going to have to do it even though he was younger, he was more realistic and he had to handle the situation so that our hard work would bring lasting success."".
With time, Simão soon became a “carioca” – a person from Rio. He started selling Beatles buttons at the door of the Help nightclub and soon he was already a true fashion creator. His first pieces, embroidered cacharel shirts, were immediately successful in the advanced cultural environment of Rio de Janeiro in the 70s.
Jeans bikini
David watched all of this closely, as Simão sewed and embroidered at home. He saw the in-and-out of suppliers and dressmakers. "One day, I was hanging out at home, wrapped in a towel, in sandals, when a rabbi came looking for Simão. He was a dressmaker and he was carrying an order: two bikinis made of jeans. I saw those Blue Man bikinis and I went crazy: 'Wow! What a wonderful thing'". It was not surprising that such an innovative bikini set attracted lots of interest in the early 1970s. There was a desire for fashion and design in the air and for the first time young people started to dictate the style. The market, however, was not prepared for such a change. Going to the beach, even for the hippie ones, implied dressing the old fashioned swimsuits of the Catalina brand or trying improvised models, crochet bikinis or panties and lingerie bras adapted at home. A bikini made of jeans, the "young" fabric, was exactly what that moment demanded.
"I came home with orders in hand," David recalled. "Simão didn't know anything. When I met him I said I had seen the bikinis. I asked him how much he intended to sell them. And he said: 'About 35 cruzeiros, I think'. I said: are we serious? I've already sold it for 45! I thought he would be happy, but on the contrary, he was pissed off. He said: 'I can't take it anymore! I want to leave this house, you take everything that is mine!' I had no bad intentions, I was trying to help ". This family fight could have ruined the birth of the Brazilian tradition in beachwear. But that's not what happened. "After the anger passed, Simão ordered the bikinis and gave them to me to deliver to the stores where he had sold it. But when I delivered them, I was surprised. The bikinis that I sold like hotcakes were beautiful to look at, but t was impossible to wear them! They didn’t pass the women’s calves, they stayed on the knee ... Neither I, nor Simão, nor the shopkeepers who bought it, no one realized that jeans without washing, hard as hell, didn't have the necessary elasticity. The stores returned everything. Simão looked at me and said, "See? You cursed everything. I don't want to hear about this bikini thing anymore! "He took the returned pieces and put them under the bed. The matter was over. Those 600 bikinis rotted!"
Simão decided to act on his own and created the San Sebastian brand. He started customizing the jeans pants and jackets which made him soon famous. David, who had a bad reputation among the boutiques, decided to take his course. "I had been thrilled with that sale, much more than Simão. His fashion universe was much bigger, for him, beachwear was just 'one more thing'. I dreamed of inventing Levi´s pants and living on it for the rest of my life. With the success of that sale, I came to think that I had beachwear Levi´s in my hands. I was not satisfied with the failure. I decided to continue investing in the product, recover the idea anyway, and guarantee with it my self-sufficiency. Otherwise, I would always be dependent on Simão, and he would always be in front of me ".
Side-tie bikini
David, who was much more a beach person than a stylist, with no experience in fashion, devoted his days to remodeling his jeans bikini. He spent afternoons taking tests with his friends and the result was always the same, or it was too tight or too loose. One day, lamenting with Antônio Nazar, nicknamed Binha, a friend who was a genius stylist, David showed him the bikini, and in the greatest simplicity, said: "What's up, boy? All this scandal for nothing? Just cut the side and make a bow on it so that the bikini fits any body ". David shouted: Binha, motherfucker! How wonderful! You saved my life! "I left there flying to buy more jeans and make more bikinis."
"When I found out that with 100 meters of fabric I could make almost 800 bikinis, I thought of it as of the solution for my independence", said David. But, to get the fabric, the new stylist had to ask once again his brother, who had all the necessary addresses and contacts. David got the money for the 100 meters and, to reduce the cost, tried to buy them together with Simão's order, which was more than 2000 meters. They agreed to go to the factory together. David put on his shorts and Havaianas. When Simão saw me, he said: "My brother, you're not going out with me like that. Get some nice shoes and decent clothes". It was always like that, said David, we were already stressed out. In anger, I ended up not going. But I listened, to figure out the path that Simão brought his load of jeans, to find out where it came from. I saw that it was from the Santa Rosa factory, in Valena, and I went there with Simão's car, which I "stole" while he was sleeping. When I got there, a factory technician saw the bikini design and said, "To do this, you can use the second quality jeans." I wanted to see the second quality jeans. It was much nicer, there were some needle failures that gave a much more interesting look. "Where's the third one?" It was even better. Result: I went with the money to buy 100 meters and left there with 1000 meters. All these jeans fabrics were going to clutter up my house, but now I had incredible assets, I could make more than 8,000 pieces with it - I don't think I could even spend all the fabric, I couldn't produce so much. "
The summer started earlier in Ipanema, as usual. And that year what you saw again was David's jeans bikini. With the local success, the ambitious "new designer" foresaw the immense possibilities of his product. To diversify the market, he took the bus to São Paulo. "I took there about 800 jeans bikinis. I walked up and down Augusta Street, there were the best boutiques, Elle Et Lui, Drugstore, Horseshoe Hole, Cleptomania, Paraphernalia ... I didn't even have time to do the whole circuit because of a bad storm. I got wet, the sandals were all in the mud and dirtying my pants. I was all filthy that when I arrived at Paraphernalia, which was the hottest address, so I was afraid to go in. There was a lot of beautiful people in there, all those “Paulista” girls, those blondes in Sant-Tropez pants, very chic indeed. If I went in, they would shout: "Catch a thief!" And I didn't want to make a bad entrance, did I? I stood outside with the jeans bikini in my hand, waving to the store owner, Guaracy. When she saw the Blue Man bikini she pulled me in and put it on to try it out. People gathered to see, the “Paulista” girls were saying: "How beautiful! How much?". I sold 60 just there at Paraphernalia. This is a very good memory ".
Jeans bikinis ware a huge success among chic hippies from Augusta and real hippies from Ipanema. The summer of 1971/1972 was dominated by David Azulay. All of a sudden, he stopped being Simão's brother. More than that, he became a brand: "Now, I needed to invent a name. At that time, there was an LSD of the best quality that was called Blue Anything. I was also walking. fascinated by a brand in São Paulo, called New Man. Then he put it all together. The São Paulo brand that ended with "Man", Levi's hysteria that was blue, LSD blue, my name, Azulay. I created the brand called "Blue Man", thinking that I would make Blue Man jeans bikini my whole life. That was the beginning of the Brazilian beach fashion, I did not doubt it ".
The '70s began with beaches full of people in Blue Man swimwear. The peak of the fame was when the muse of the Epoque, Rose Di Primo, let herself be photographed on the Ipanema beach wearing Blue Man jeans bikini. In addition to her flawless silhouette and impeccable tan, Rose was known for the bikinis she created for herself, such as the famous strapless bandeau top made of draped cloth. Many attribute it to, for example, the invention of the thong bikini. The model at that time represented the ideal standard of Brazilian beauty, that's why she was already pursuing an international career with pictures of her published in the magazines Stern, Quick, and L´Europeo. Hence the importance of her endorsement.
"I made a lot of money that summer," recalled David. "I bought 6 sewing machines with it, rented some space, set up the cutting table, and made room for ready delivery. But then the summer ended and I felt that a long and dark winter would come. I had already realized that I couldn't stop and do only jeans bikini. I also discovered that I could use my creativity and started thinking about ideas for a new collection. I decided to invest in the tights, which had become fashionable. At that moment Binha, who was lost and went a bit crazy somewhere in Bahia, came back to Rio de Janeiro. He painted a panel on one of the walls of the room I rented. While he was painting, I was preparing my winter collection. From time to time, he said: "I have some ideas that you will love" And I was like, "Don't even try, paint the thing there and get out!" But once I went out to do something and when I came back he showed me what he had done in my absence: he transformed one of mine tights into a blouse, decorated with some satin applications of clouds and stars with the expression "WOW". He said, "My brother, this is the fashion, this is the scream! And I can do one after the other”.
At that moment, Simão, who came to say goodbye to me before his trip to Europe, saw Binha's shirt and said: "This is the most beautiful thing in the world! For the sake of God, I want to travel to Europe with this shirt!". Only then did I admit that it was a good idea and I asked Binha to change my entire collection.
The girls that had worn the jeans bikini in the summer, worn the whole winter pop-patterned blouses: clouds, stars, bonfires, hot dogs, Flash Gordon. Blue Man began to be known also outside the beaches. In an article in Manchete magazine, journalist Gilda Chataiginter named this fashion movement “Astral”. The following summers, other models of David would dominate the beaches. The main one, following the pop wave, stamped the United States flag on the front of the panties. "With this bikini, Blue Man became international. I think it was the peak of our beachwear, the moment when the world looked at Brazil. It appeared on the cover of the English newspaper The Sun, illustrating an article that said that, after from Carmen Miranda, coffee and Pelé, Brazil invented a new successful product: the “thong.” Soon after, they called me saying that the newspaper's office kept receiving requests from people wanting to know where to find the thong. I went to London immediately."
International career of Blueman
Suddenly, Blue Man began its international career. In a very short time, the brand's bikinis and swimsuits could be found in Paris, London, and Milan. The "thong" started to appear on the pages of magazines and the Brazilian style started to be copied worldwide. This whole swimwear peak took place in less than five years. It was time for Brazil to be known as "the" country specialized in the subject. At that time David saw his small business transforming into an industry of unexpected opportunities.
During this period, Blue Man continued to launch side-tie bikinis with tropical motifs, string bikini made of patchwork, bikini with buckle, and even the famous roll-up bikini - a kind of shorts which waist was rolled up as the customer wished. "If you were a discreet girl, you would roll it up little, if not, you would roll it all up," says David. Meanwhile, Brazil was witnessing the birth of its own beachwear market, with the emergence of a multitude of new brands dedicated to bikinis, in addition to the modernization of the existing ones.
Despite all this local success, David continued to look outside. "The years passed and I realized that I was much more excited to see the name of Blue Man published in an Italian magazine than in a national one. I was becoming totally focused on the European market."
Yes Brazil
Meanwhile, Simão was enjoying the title of the King do Jeans, which he won from his fellow Cariocas (people from Rio). His San Sebastian brand was very popular in Rio, but it did not have a national reach. David remembers times when he was the one giving the cards in the family: "When I wanted to provoke Simão, I said: Brother, you are a naughty copier! While you are respected here, I am respected out there by the same guys that you copied.” I used to speak like that to wake him up. I had guts to say that, I really had a very good concept out there, my brand was in fashion magazines all over the world." When the 1980s arrived, despite all the local popularity, San Sebastian closed, shrouded in debt. David reached out to his brother once again and from that union, another fundamental name for Brazilian fashion was born: Yes Brazil. “When Simão came to need me, I was there. I had credit, I had money and I was settled. And he was a megalomaniac who only thought about expensive suits. So I convinced him to set up a store together. At Yes Brazil, we would sell his new brand Chez Simon, and Blue Man. We opened the store and it was the biggest success in the world. It became the craziness of the moment. We dressed only young, modern, and laid-back people. Over time, he started to push me out of the game. I entered Yes Brazil and all the bikinis were in the drawers. He said: "This bikini thing doesn't fit here!" At that time of the peak of Yes Brazil, people were telling me: "Hey, your brother is awesome, huh? Biggest success! And Blue Man, are you still there in the store at number 33?". That pissed me off and I started to lose my lust for the brand. I ended up leaving Yes Brazil and opened the Blue Man store at the Ipanema Forum, which was a very fashionable address in 1983." But not everything was bad among the Azulay brothers. It was Simão who changed the Blue Man's course when the brand ran the risk of getting off track in the mid-1980s. " was exporting a lot and I think I was contaminated by the big international distributors", said David.
Blue Man swimwear exportation
"I think that because of that I forced the tropical prints - like parrots and toucans - and changed the shapes of the models. Whenever I created a new collection, I needed to adapt the models to the international market: in Italy, I had to have a smaller butt and a larger breast, in Germany it had to be one way, in France another. Each one had their modeling and that kept that vicious cycle, there was no more time for creative ideas. Worse: now when I was making a collection, I no longer had the Ipanema girl in mind , but the Italian woman. "It was Simão, who first realized the damage of this internationalization." There was all this side of competition between us, but we only wished well for each other. One day Simão saw an Italian giving advice and later he said:" You know what? You are a fag too and you make the mistake in this fucking export. You are used by the gringos! You have to send them to hell! They are destroying your collection, they are all kitschy and know nothing about swimwear. Those who understand bikini are the Brazilians! Wake up! ' This made me think. Simão had a good point there, he knew that the only way to reach me was to call me a fag. It was a master move. Once again he was right. After that, I understood that Brazil was, and always will be, the best market in the world to sell a bikini. From that day on, when a gringo said: 'I don't want it like this, I want it a different way', I replied 'so ok, thank you very much, you can leave'."
Coming back to the source
David decided to re-establish the Blue Man philosophy: “I started to enter more into retail, opened a store in Rio and São Paulo, and attacked the Belo Horizonte market with all my power. If you are successful there, you are successful in the rest of Brazil. From then on, I made very Brazilian collections, totally dedicated to the girls on our beaches. I made prints inspired by marajoara, cashew nuts, bananas, watermelons, pineapples, Carmen Miranda. I used all this tropicalism from Brazil. Blue Man adopted the style it still has today: simply Brazilian".
Throughout the 90s, David resized the company and managed to take Blue Man intact to the 2000s. "I was small on purpose. Today I have twelve own stores, six franchises, I want to work less. Sometimes, I see other brands repeating the same mistakes I did. They want to be successful abroad to strengthen their image in Brazil. It's okay to appear internationally, but I don't see bikinis of these guys here on our beaches ... Today I know: my bikini was made to be on the beach and not in a foreign fashion magazine!"
Timeline and Blueman brand evolution:
the Blue Man brand is almost 50 years old. Below we present some important facts.
1973 In the '70s, David Azulay creates a jeans thong bikini, which was photographed on the tanned body of the Ipanema beach muse, the supermodel Rose di Primo for the magazine Manchete.
1974 The Blue Man brand was born, opening its doors to 33 Rua Santa Clara in Copacabana, with a team of 14 people. And the creations started to roll like a Rolling Stone ... The American flag bikini was such a striking, visual and commercial sensation, that it was photographed for the covers of the North American Weekly Times and Status Magazine.
1975 The new brand quickly seduced the most beautiful women on the Brazilian beaches, translating the spirit of the time into tiny strategic triangles with satin pop applications: Wow! Flash Gordon. Get Stoned ... While participating in its first Moda Rio fair, 150 thousand pieces are sold!
1976 Stamping tests begin. Mouth-to-mouth advertising brings unexpected results, it attracts beauties and beasts, the first buyers from abroad and the interest of photographers and producers in the outlined avant-garde style. The brand's 3rd best seller is the denim bikini with a shabby print.
1977 Participation in the Salon of Lgedo, Dusseldorf.
1978 Paris Prêt-a-Porter Salon and Milan Fashion Salon.
1979 Ecological and tropical, the style evolves with the colors of Brazil: Amazonas, Jaguar, Floral, Waterfall, Seabed, Fruit Salad, Desert, Night and Day, Cashew, Toucan, Parakeet, Xingu ...
1980 Blue Man focuses to develop a product that perfectly synthesizes the Rio beach. Introduction of export modeling. American magazine Sports Illustrated photographs several Blue Man models in Amazonas and Bahia.
1981 The Brazilian beauties Rose di Primo, Monique Evans, Vicky Schneider, Monique Moura, Maria João, are the models hired to present what the Brazilian brand has to offer.
1982 Graphic artist Carlos Simas redesigns the brand's logo. Terra Brasilis is created with the motives of Brazilian fauna, flora and Indians, anticipating the ecological crisis of our planet.
1983 The first Blue Man Stores are opened.
1984 Always ahead, Blue Man’s participation in national and international fairs is a never ending success story. In Rio fashion, the Poppy-Tech airbrush model reflects the constant evolution of the brand, combining the poetry of the flower superimposed on the graphic and hard background. The game of smooth degrades (inimitable!) as in the famous Zebra print, demonstrates the detailing capacity of Blue Man's semi-handmade production. 80 thousand pieces are exported abroad.
1985 Catalogs and posters are printed in the USA. The collection shows the fauna-and-flora theme recreated in a Memphis geometric style. A Brazilian precursor of swimwear exports, Blue Man bikinis and swimsuits have been for ten years on demanding markets of Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, Italy, France, Spain, Israel, Portugal, Denmark, USA, showing originality and style.
1986 Blue Man style its the most unmistakable, the models present vibrant graphics with improved year by year technique, silkscreen with strategic details of airbrushing.
1987 Perfect for the girls with athletic bodies, lovers of water sports, the sunkini (two pieces) is a great novelty, remembering the nostalgia of the 50s. Blue Man is always ahead of modeling research and new techniques launches colorful shorts, shirts, leggings, little hats, sarongs, tents, with vibrant tropical tones. Introduction of the Beach Club line.
1988 The international top model, Paulina Porizkova, chooses the Body Board model for the cover of her 1988 calendar. The ecological theme recreates nature in the prints Neo-Capybara, Neo-Anthurium, Neo-Orchid, Neo-Coconut, Neo-Flamingo.
1989 The underwire bra invades the beaches, flattering retro femininity in swimsuits and bikinis.
1990 Exporting from 1978 to the United States, Blue Man is visible on the sands of the South Beach in Miami in the summer of 1990. In the wave of "re-beginning", as the moment of rebirth was baptized with the revitalization of the the entire South Beach shore. Blue Man opens its first store abroad. And it didn't take long to draw the attention not only of tourists and locals but of the celebrities who always frequented the trendy Point. The designers Gianni Versace and Thierry Muggler were frequent visitors of the store and praised Blue Man's creativity to David Azulay himself, enchanted with colorful and tropical prints. The 90s heartthrob Mickey Rourke and singer Cindy Lauper also surrendered the charms of the Brazilian brand, which still caught the attention of world boxing champion Evander Holyfield and American fashion icon Tommy Hilfiger, who went to check out authentic Made in Brazil beachwear up close. This brought the fusion of Brazil-USA fashion.
1991 The Tropical Made in Brazil to the World. With an eye on the world, but without taking his feet off the sand of Ipanema and the eyes of Arpoador, Blue Man increasingly consolidates its position on the foreign and domestic market. The collection could not be more tropical and hot, which is why the prints are very successful, with toucan in degradée, the map of Rio de Janeiro adorned by birds, Christ the Redeemer, Indians of the Amazon. These were some of the icons that became fashionable this summer.
1992 The Spiral of the Universe. Blue Man prepares a catalog displaying very Brazilian icons, such as bananas, cashews and parakeets.
1993 Blue Man arrives in Bali and produces pareo using batik, an ancient Balinese technique. This was the special year of the sarong (in other words Brazilian canga or pareo).
1994 Raising our flag. Always close to the source and drawing on cultural wealth, Blue Man uses the greatest symbol of any nation's patriotism, its flag. The flag of Brazil, with its vibrant colors, becomes a print and transforms into a great success on all beaches. More obvious - and therefore so brilliant – is impossible! Presented in a parade at the Copacabana Palace, with the model Carla Barros wearing a denim bikini with the top of the Brazilian flag, making a Brazilian pop look very famous and desired all over the world.
1995 Blue Man made a little sneak peek to its collection at a fashion show on the Ipanema Beach and participated in the first Carioca Style Week, presenting at Guanabara Palace its line of leather jackets honoring football teams, Bond Girls, which was sexy and bold, inspired by James Bond.
1996 And the Blue Man swim trunks are renewed... Blue Man, always attentive to what happens in the sands, realized that there was a great space concerning men's swimwear, which for decades had never changed. The brand entered with a sole reaching the surfer, the jiu-jitsu fighter, the mauricinho and the whole range of men who start to feel more vain on the beach. From then on the stones rolled ... the man sunga was invented based on MMA shorts of David Azulay's friend, who was a fighter. David adapted the shorts to the beach and since then men swim trunks as we know today are a great success! Tribute to Carmen Miranda with a print.
1997 From the sand to the catwalk. The summer of 1997 is the debut of Blue Man on the catwalks of Morumbi Fashion, produced by Paulo Borges, and the brand makes a show that is the most applauded, highest-spirited, the most Brazilian and the most carioca fashion show of the fashion season in São Paulo. The parade opened with Skank music, followed by Fernanda Abreu, with the hit Rio 40graus, and The Doors. It was easy to understand why Venice Beach, California, influenced our summer. But it doesn't stop there ... The style of young English people and the authentic London streetwear also influenced this collection, which can be defined as a mix of time, styles and tribes. There was Paulo Zulu on the sungão (man swim trunks) catwalk, in addition to prints of the Brazilian flag. The collection is democratic, timeless and refers to all the decades: to the 50s, with their Hawaiian shirts and retro swimsuits, the 60s, with the helanca fabric, and the 70s, with the crochet bikinis, camouflage prints and the classic denim bikini, the Blue Man registered trademark. Who will not surrender to Pucci prints in the terry cloth version and the Tahitian motives? And in the wonderful end, that couldn’t be more “carioca”, the samba from União da Ilha: "Será que eu serei o dono dessa festa?" ("Will I be the owner of this party?").
1998 The jewel collection with a hint of controversy. The collection of summer of 1998 is luxurious and slightly smaller. Bikinis are smaller and full of ornaments. Beaded sides, gold pendants and stones, straw – all these details give a special touch to pieces that are jewelry to be worn in broad daylight. The prints range from tribal tattoos strategically placed on bikinis to drawings of Northeastern literature. And a jewel flag with 27 diamonds representing all the Brazilian states in a bikini set. Fashion and controversy always go together, raising flags, breaking taboos, provoking discussions, with Blue Man it couldn't be different. Taking advantage of the success of the sungão and looking at the religiosity of the Brazilian people, David Azulay launched a piece, that can be at least described as daring: a sungão with the print of Jesus Christ. According to the saying "Speak well, speak bad, but speak of me", the design generated an absurd repercussion, criticism and praise, but, once again strengthened the Blue Man’s position of a pioneer brand in everything the brand does.
1999 Blue Man makes a catalog styled by Flavia Pommianosky and Davi Ramos, photographed by Gui Paganini and under the art direction of Ton Lo Bianco with the supermodels Daniela Raizel, Karen Vareski and Alexandre Marques.
2000 Blue Man presents its collection in a fashion show at Barra Shopping, with prints inspired by Indian motives and surfing.
2001 A true declaration of love for Brazil and Rio. Blue Man opens the fashion show with two street sweepers discovering the reproduction of the legitimate Copacabana sidewalk in the middle of the Bienal building during the Sao Paulo Fashion Week. Among the hits, the Canoa Quebrada print, inspired by one of the most popular beaches in Ceará, with its colorful sand landscapes. The collection also played with volumes, using ruffles, crochet and flower applications. The top model Caroline Ribeiro opened and closed the show wearing a bikini with the Brazilian flag set with Swarovski crystals. To close the show, the street sweepers appear again and with samba on their feet they cover the walkway with a canvas with the words: "Rio de Janeiro is still beautiful". For the Summer 2001 campaign, Blue Man hired Daniel Klajmic to photograph Daniela Lopes with the Canoa Quebrada bikini at Praia do Pepê.
2002 The Conscious Trickster. In a tribute to the heroes of the sea, David Azulay brought 28 lifeguards directly from the beaches of Rio de Janeiro to the Sao Paulo Fashion Week catwalk. Surfing the wave of "Preserving is saving lives and recycling is loving your neighbor", Blue Man makes a collection with an emphasis on customization and recycling. The "Bom Brill 1001 Utilidades" t-shirt opens the parade. Packaging of the most diverse products collected in the trash and pressed in meticulous collage work by the plastic artist Marcos Cardoso shared space on the catwalk with t-shirts, swimsuits and shorts. Among the hits, the launch of Blue Man tie-dye swimwear and the print signed by cartoonist Ique, who created a cartoon to portray the universe of the beach and all its tribes. Even Azulay himself, alongside model Ana Claudia Michels, appears at this point. The feature film “As Cariocas”, directed by the late journalist Fernando Barros, with old scenes from the city, served as a backdrop for the show. Fun and full of bossa, the cartoon by Ique portraying the authentic way of life in Rio becomes the summer 2002 campaign.
2003 30 years of the beach... The debut show on the Fashion Rio catwalks celebrates Blue Man's 30 years of fashion by reissuing its classics. With the top models like Ana Hickman, Raica and Letícia Birkheuer, such hits as the 1972 jeans bikini and the Amazon print appear redesigned. Crochet pieces, the unforgettable Chiqueria print and tie-dye appear more modern and contemporary than ever. Dishcloth bikinis appear and become classic right away. At the end of the fashion show, the muse Monique Evans and the hurricane Daniella Cicarelli appear on the catwalk, accompanying David Azulay and symbolizing the past and present in Blue Man's successful trajectory, in celebration of his 30 years on the beach. The summer 2003 campaign had a warm atmosphere, with Anderson Dornelles and top model Michele Alves photographed by Gui Paganini.
2004 The celebration of beach diversity. The collection of Summer 2004 was launched in a historic fashion show signed by the set designer Bia Lessa. A real theatrical performance. A journey of rhythms, colors, emotions and places ... A tour of all the tribes - from the elite of Gávea to couples in love, the funkeiros, the tribe of the maracatu, the Rastafarians that smoke to the sound of reggae. The parade starts in a luxurious way ... Actresses appear in beautiful evening dresses made of paper that are torn to the delight of the audience. Beth Goffman and Vanessa Lóes make a great performance and already show the first pieces of the collection. From there comes a succession of tribes parade through the democratic beach of Blue Man. Couples in love with the sound of reggae, a maracatu band formed by teenagers and the pattern of Hawaii volcanoes, Jamaican flowers and crochet following the colors of the arch iris. Jorge Fonseca's work becomes poetry on the beach. The artist who borders his paintings lent his beautiful creations to the 2004 collection of Blue Man. Get ready to hit the beach with girls wearing bikinis with phrases like "I do anything to get your attention", "It was God who made you" and "I am surrounded by love on all sides". In the middle of it all, a stop for the beat of the funk made in Rio: "É SOM DE PRETO, DE FAVELADO, E QUANDO TOCA NINGUÉM FICA PARADO". All of this on a golden glittered catwalk. The actress Maria Flor was the star of the brand campaign signed by Ernesto Baldan, with photos in Arraial do Cabo / RJ.
2005 Two Brazilian women. Blue Man puts "handmade in Brazil" on the catwalk, the visual artists Tarsila do Amaral and Beatriz Milhazes, and the graffiti from Rio de Janeiro. The Summer 2005 collection is an ode to the joy and warmth of our country. The parade is super colorful and bright, with a track that brings the sound of drumming from samba and hip hop swing. Looking at the screens "Morro de Favela", "Carnaval em Madureira" and "A Feira", the brand is inspired by the sensuality of the undulating lines that emerge from the native landscapes. Among the hits of the collection, the prints Trópicos and Tarsila, which reflect the look and love of two great women in love with Brazil. Exploring the streets of Rio and observing the walls of the city and with ears attentive to its rascal sonority, the youth of hip hop and graffiti also parades in prints, among them Luau, who paints street art on tanned bodies. The Summer 2005 campaign uses images from the parade with graphic interference from Rio de Janeiro icons, such as the Pão de Açúcar and the flowers from the Botanical Garden, signed by the designers of Motim.
2006 The Vectorized Tropical. Summer of 2006 is marked by the exaltation of Amazonian flowers painted by English botanist Margareth Mee. The floral print inspired by her work, very delicate, is one of the highlights of the collection. The crochet with striped lurex also deserves to be highlighted together with the pieces printed with the cocktails and pineapple, in designs that play with the organic and the graphic. The prints show scenes from Rio. From the sand, the Blue Man looks out to sea and is enchanted by the classic Hawaiian look - pure memory of a perfect vacation dream. The collection also unites the sand-colored Piquet textures with lycra thread worked on the crochet. The jeans mascot appears again, now very washed and with prints. At the end of the parade, Hamilton Vaz Pereira brings to the catwalk the second generation of the legendary theater group Asdrúbal Trouxe o Trambone for a performance that symbolizes the future. Trendy photographer Gui Paganini signs photos with the supermodels Eliza Joënck and David Chaloup for Summer 2006, in a campaign that focuses on movement and the explosion of colors.
2007 Lapa. In 2007, Blue Man prepared a memorable fashion show in Arcos da Lapa, in downtown Rio de Janeiro. In partnership with Bia Lessa the brand puts on stage 700 black extras that serve as a living frame for the Pau Brazil print collection. Old postcards of Rio de Janeiro in watercolored versions lend poetry and memory to the pieces. The yellow of the Amazon streams at dawn and the lilac of the west show a color chart in the tones of Brazilian landscapes. The gourd of tacacá and white lace enter the scene celebrating in great style the tribute of Blue Man to all the Brazilians, sons of Pau Brasil and heirs of samba. Lapa, a stronghold of bohemia and lung of samba in Rio, is depicted on the catwalk with the print Samba King, by Jota Carlos, while musical notes, tambourines and viola become fun accessories. The campaign of the Pau Brasil collection deserved a very special location: the Tijuca Forest with top photographer Murilo Meirelles photographing the models Evandro Soldati and Fabiana Semprebom. The look book from the high summer collection was photographed by Daniel Klajimic, with a couple of top models Alex Schuts and Fabiane Nunes on Grumari beach.
Over the years, there have been unusual collections and fashion shows, always signing the exuberance, diversity and cultural and inspirational hi-lo of Rio, as well as bold and irreverent campaigns, taken by the best international photographers. In 2009 David passed away. Clouds appeared and showed us that rain is only bad for those who do not enjoy it. Sharon Azulay, the only daughter of David, and Michel Tauil, David's son-in-law, took over the company management, conducting in an irreverent, relaxed and fun way everything that Blueman represents.
Source: blueman.com.br Blue Man's official website, written by DAVID AZULAY
In the football game of Brazil against Cameroon on June 23rd 2014, the Brazilian player Neymar Jr. showed Blueman sunga two times during the match. The photos were successful on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram on the brand's pages.
In September 2020 the international website of Blueman brand was created - and here you are!