Farewell to Jean Vuarnet

Jean Vuarnet, the great champion skier who gave his name to the famous French eyewear brand, passed away on January 2. He was 83. A brilliant businessman, he brought stimulus and strategy to the Vuarnet brand he created, which became an international benchmark in the sunglasses market thanks to the quality of the lenses. The company was set up in 1959 after a meeting with optician Roger Pouilloux, who conceived the famous sunglasses model 02 in his honor and which Vuarnet wore at the 1960 Winter Games at Squaw Valley (USA), when he won a gold medal for the Downhill skiing event. Subsequently, the two men became close friends with a shared vision that brought about the success of the brand.