VUARNET SUNGLASSES!

Welcome back to the Awesome Avenue.biz blog!  Thanks for stopping by.  When I first started this store, I had envisioned a destination where one would be able to find the essentials of popular culture that have emerged over the last 40 years.  Of course, there is so much that could be considered essential, however, being that one of the driving forces of Awesome Avenue.biz is fashion and apparel, I immediately came to realize that it’s not simply fashion items, such as the vintage and retro oriented t-shirt and baseball cap emblazoned with a classic logo we needed, but also certain brands which have become synonomous with popular culture (i.e. Esprit, Lacoste, Generra, etc.).  The first of these brands that we brought in, and have been pretty successful with, is Vuarnet France sunglasses.

Do you remember Vuarnet?  They are a French based sunglass manufacturer whose “cat-eye” frame design became as much of a fashion must have as Swatch watches and Nike Air Jordan high tops.  Vuarnet and Ray-Ban, during the late 1970s through the late 1980s, were the sunglasses to have, and both could be found at your better sporting goods, tennis, and ski shops.  In fact, Vuarnet’s became such a desired designer, that many of their frames were knocked off by cheaper manufacturers to appeal to those who couldn’t afford the actual Vuarnet shades. 

In the mid-1990s, though, Vuarnet pulled out of the US market entirely, because the new owner of the company wanted to put the brand in too many stores with lower cost points, and those who ran the brand felt that it would destroy Vuarnet’s reputation as a luxury item.  In 1985, when I got my first pair of Cat-Eyes, the retail price was between $85 – 90.00, a lot of money 23 years ago.  Among hundreds of other styles Vuarnet has currently, they still make the classics, but those now run close to $200 for the same frame styles and lenses.

When we were first bringing inventory into Awesome Avenue.biz, we contacted Vuarnet, who, as I mentioned, had basically been out of the US market for quite some time.  I had to be very careful in my approach to the company, because they are a bit conservative, as many European brands have the tendency to be, and while they wanted to re-introduce themselves into the US market, they were being very selective on the retailers that would be authorized to carry them.  So, when we approached them from the basis of Vuarnet being considered a US pop culture icon, they became very excited to work with us.  Especially when we told them that we only wanted to carry the original style frames, like the Cat-Eye (also known as the 2002 and 4002 depending on which lenses you choose), that made the brand the “must have” 25 years ago.  Plus with the recent retro and vintage oriented trend in sunglasses, it made for a perfect fit between our 2 companies.  So now, if you visit the Awesome Avenue.biz website for Vuarnet, which you can do by clicking here, you will find all of those classic frames, with the same essential lenses that they had back in the 1980s. 

Since forming our original partnership with Vuarnet, Awesome Avenue.biz has also become both an authorized repair and prescription center for the Vuarnet sunglasses.  We are able to fix any of the styles we sell *.  I put an * there, because if you’re familiar with Vuarnet sunglasses from the 1980s, you may remember the frames were available in an assortment of colors.  That is not the case as of now, however, the company has told us they will be bringing many frame color choices back.  Anyway, we are not able to fix the colored frames, if the piece required is a colored piece.  A screw yes, no problem.  A temple arm – no.  But we can replace an older frame with a new one, only it will be black, until those color I mentined above choices are available.

Anyway, I’d love for you to check out our Vuarnet selection, and would like to offer you a $20.00 discount on any of the frames we carry.  Vuarnets do not go on sale, and yes, you will find them cheaper at other sites, however, those sites are not generally authorized by Vuarnet, nor do they offer warranty repair and prescription services or have the close relationship with Vuarnet that Awesome Avenue.biz has formed.  So, with that, please take a peek.  If you’d like to buy yourself a pair, the code to use at checkout is “vuarnet blog,” (without the quotation marks).  With that recent trend in modern fashion reflecting and revitalizing styles and brands of the past, you will be in style with your classic Vuarnets!