Vuarnet is setting up shop with its first store in the U.S. The French brand, known for its bold cat-eye inspired shapes and mineral lenses and named after the late Olympic gold medal winning French downhill skier Jean Vuarnet, has aggressively expanded its reach since its relaunch in 2015 and is now carried in more than 600 doors in the U.S. market, including Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom. The U.S. boutique marks a second freestanding brick-and-mortar location; the other one is in Paris. “We have experienced three years of rapid growth in the U.S. market in both specialty stores and premium optical boutiques. With this strong foundation and a growing brand awareness in the States, we decided the time was right for the opening of our U.S. flagship in New York,” said Lionel Giraud, chief executive officer of Vuarnet. Rendering of the interior of the Vuarnet store  Courtesy The 1,000-square-foot flagship, designed by Paris-based Utopik Design, has floor-to-ceiling windows, a mix of wood and stone and an oversized, neon Vuarnet logo — a nod to the brand’s Eighties cult status. The goal was to offer an immersive brand experience taking customers through the brand’s history, including key products from its legacy such as The Dude, worn

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