Birth of Jean Vuarnet in Tunis. At the age of one, Jean settles in Morzine (Haute-Savoie, France).   Jean studies law in Grenoble and enters the French downhill, giant slalom and combined downhill / slalom team. He invents the position of "search for speed". In 1958, Jean marries Edith Bonlieu, three times French ski champion. Homage to the friends.   Jean becomes Olympic Downhill Champion (Gold Medal) in Squaw-Valley (USA). Launching of the first Vuarnet sunglasses.     Birth of Alain Vuarnet in Grenoble He is also President of the Avoriaz Tourism Office and participates actively in the creation of the fabulous skiing domain French and Swiss, " Les Portes du Soleil", (650 km of tracks) of which he is the originator and the Founder President.     Alain is educated in Morzine. Studies in Morzine, Thonon and Annecy until 1981. Alpine Skiing competition circuit.   Jean decides to devote his time to the development of Vuarnet which gradually became a brand .     Alain is skiing instructor for the ESF (French ski school) in Avoriaz from 1981 to 1987. At the same time, he follows training in competitive tennis with coach Georges Deniau, in Nîmes (France).   Stay in U.S.A. Training at the Vuarnet licensee headquarter in Los Angeles; first experiences in business for Vuarnet. In New-York, he obtains his English language certificate (high level) from Berlitz school.   Jean settles in Geneva and begins the process of diversification of the Vuarnet brand. His second son, Pierre, creates the first Vuarnet Skiwear line. At the same time, some new products are developed: watches,perfumes,cosmetics,pens.     Alain returns to Europe, in Geneva (Switzerland) where the Vuarnet brand and Jean Vuarnet have settled down.   Pierre Vuarnet, talented skier, actively pursues the development of the skiwear line he has created.     Alain is in charge of "communication, promotion and PR" for the product textile at Vuarnet.     He becomes Manager of the Vuarnet watches license (License integrated into the Vuarnet Group). His job in the Vuarnet Group evolves. Period of transition between the small/ medium sized company in the watchmaking industry and the "Institutional" in the broad sense of the term.   Jean acts as the President of the Vuarnet Group. His son, Alain, becomes General Manager. Jean marries Christiane. He spends at least half of the year on his sailing boat, the Tahoe.     Alain is in charge of "communication, promotion and PR" for the product textile at Vuarnet.   In February 1998, Jean Vuarnet retires from the VUARNET businesses and hands over the position of Chairman and CEO to one of his sons, Alain. The brand pays him a great tribute for his exceptional path, between his high-level sport carrier and the development of the VUARNET brand from 1988 and 1997! The values that he left to the brand in product development processes and in marketing vision are worthy of intemporal brands, those who know how to keep their spirit and conserve their authenticity! We will not forget...     Alain Vuarnet becomes Chairman and CEO of the VUARNET group.   Happy birthday Jean !     The brand decides to create a logo qualified as the "VUARNET signature". Alain, initiator of these new labelling guidelines wishes to bring to the brand a new "V", styled, slick and modern. As from then, 2 logos will live together. The "signature" logo, answering to an aesthetic and modernity aspect, on the outside. And inside, the logo of the beginnings, the logo of the gold medal, the logo of authenticity, loyalty and confidence. A label of quality !     Vuarnet becomes sponsor of the Formula 1 pilot, Eddy Irvine, and Official Supplier of the sailing boat "Mascalzone Latino" in the America's Cup.   Inseparable, Alain Vuarnet and Joseph Hatchiguian, CEO of Sporoptic Pouilloux (owner of the Vuarnet sunglasses) collaborate closely in the management of the image of the brand. Joseph Hatchiguian, with his talent and a hard work, has brought Vuarnet sunglasses to a level of international recognition.     Alain Vuarnet flies over to Brazil and opens several new VUARNET exclusive boutiques in Sao Paulo, Campinas, Buzios The St-Tropez of Brésil, Rio de Janeiro and Brasilia.   The brand celebrates its 45 years and takes advantage of its birthday to create an institutional press release which presents the spirit and history of VUARNET brand. We can discover the whole range of VUARNET products and a CD-ROM offers five movies, especially the Olympic run of Jean VUARNET, in Squaw Valley, the TV news broadcasted then, where the voices of the journalists at that time can be heard with nostalgia, and the come-back of the champion in Morzine, with his wife Edith, on a sledge driven by a coachman. > download press release