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Birth of Jean Vuarnet in Tunis.
At the age of one, Jean settles in Morzine (Haute-Savoie, France).
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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.
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Jean becomes Olympic Downhill Champion (Gold Medal) in Squaw-Valley (USA).
Launching of the first Vuarnet sunglasses.
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Birth of Alain Vuarnet in Grenoble
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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.
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Alain is educated in Morzine.
Studies in Morzine, Thonon and Annecy until 1981.
Alpine Skiing competition circuit.
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Jean decides to devote his time to the development of Vuarnet which gradually became a brand
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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).
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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.
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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.
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Alain returns to Europe, in Geneva (Switzerland) where the Vuarnet brand and Jean Vuarnet have settled down.
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Pierre Vuarnet, talented skier, actively pursues the development of the skiwear line he has created.
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Alain is in charge of "communication, promotion and PR" for the product textile at Vuarnet.
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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.
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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.
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Alain is in charge of "communication, promotion and PR" for the product textile at Vuarnet.
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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... |
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Alain Vuarnet becomes Chairman and
CEO of the VUARNET group. |
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Happy birthday Jean ! |
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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 ! |
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Vuarnet becomes sponsor of the Formula 1 pilot,
Eddy Irvine, and Official Supplier of the sailing boat "Mascalzone Latino" in the America's Cup. |
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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.
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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. |
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Alain celebrates the 45th Anniversary of Vuarnet and uses this opportunity to create a press release in which the spirit and history of Vuarnet are told. We discover the range of products under the Vuarnet brand and a CD-ROM allows you to view five films which include Jean Vuarnets’ Olympic Downhill at Squaw Valley, news from the TV at the time with the nostalgic voices of the journalists at the time, and the return of the hero to Morzine with his wife beside him on a sled driven by a coachman.
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« The new blank page of Jean Vuarnet » is the title of the full page article by the Figaro dedicated to Jean’s return. Until 2010, the Olympic year and the fiftieth anniversary of Jean’s medal, skiers and alpine skiers of the FFS will wear Vuarnet skiwear. Inventor of the « egg » position, Jean gave his sport, skiing, many years of his life. In his article in the Figaro the journalist did not hesitate to say that Jean Vuarnet is to skiing what Fosbury is to athletics, Lutz is to skating and Panenka to soccer.
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Zoom photo
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On April 4, 2009, Morzine makes its first tribute to Jean Vuarnet, the initiator of the resort of Avoriaz and the Franco-Swiss Portes du Soleil Ski Area, after his Olympic victory. The former site of the cable car will now be called “Place Jean Vuarnet” in his honour. In the presence of many friends, young people, old people, companions of the first hour and Olympic champions like Edgar Grospiron and Antoine Deneriaz, Jean Vuarnet receives this honor with great emotion. The ESF Morzine and Avoriaz, but also those of neighboring Switzerland and the children from the ski clubs, were all present at the inauguration.
> See video
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1960-2010
The 50th anniversary of the most beautiful medals for a winner! Olympic Gold! In 2'06, at Squaw Valley, Jean Vuarnet won the most prestigious race of alpine skiing - downhill. In 2010, with the Olympic Games in Vancouver, it is a celebration not to be missed. In Morzine-Avoriaz, Jean Vuarnets’ home town, this event was celebrated in a spectacular manner. The whole community gathered together: the City Council, the Heritage Association, Ski-Clubs, ESF and tourist offices in Morzine and Avoriaz, in short, a whole population.
50 years later to the day, the Olympic podium was met again. Hanspeter Lanig and Guy Périllat surrounded Jean on the podium. The downhill of Squaw Valley was reproduced in the centre of Morzine and overlooked the champions’ roles. Veronica Périllat represented Guy, Pierre Vuarnet represented Hanspeter and representing his father Jean was Alain Vuarnet.
Then, a sculpture representing the position of speed, called the egg position which was developed by Jean Vuarnet, was unveiled. Made of aluminum and glass, the sculpture, a timeless tribute to Jean, is now the center of Morzine.
The party continued over a dinner gala at the Palais des Sports. Here Georges Mauduit, a great witness of French skiing, outlined the key dates in the sport. Then Alain accompanied by his brother Pierre and his half-sister Catherine, paid tribute to their father. Alain then unveiled a unique book, a symbol of a rich family and sports life but also a successful and dense change in the business. This unique book was given by Alain to his father but also to Hanspeter Lanig and Guy Périllat.
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