Vestal Vision: Seeing Fashion
It was only a matter of time, pun intended, before the action sports–steeped watchmaker Vestal International added sunglasses to its collection. Known for its close ties to tastemakers in music, surf, skate and snow, Vestal offers a new take on eyewear coming out of the action-sports market. Vestal Vision, which debuts in stores for Spring 2010 and makes its trade show debut Feb. 3–4 at Class@ASR in San Diego, is more fashion-focused than the average action-sports eyewear brand.
“The line was developed to be a little bit more boutique-friendly, a little more fashion-forward than one might expect out of an action-sports brand,” said Derek Boucher, Vestal’s marketing director. The six-piece unisex collection features four handmade acetate styles and two metal aviator styles, all wholesaling for $32.50 to $45. The “De Luna,” Vestal’s signature style, features a chunky wayfarer-inspired silhouette and minimal branding. The “Wonderland” is a classic, squared-off ’70s aviator, with clean lines and tortoise ear pieces. While the other styles read more androgynous cool, the “Railways” skew a little more feminine, with an oversize silhouette and chocolate-y tortoise acetate any starlet could hide behind.
Produced overseas and designed in-house, Vestal Vision is a major play to establish Costa Mesa, Calif.–based Vestal as a premium accessories brand. “There is a lot of competition in the [eyewear category] in the action-sports market. We’re not trying to compete with them so much as expand our presence,” Boucher said. Retailers shouldn’t expect, for example, performance snow goggles or super-technical shades. “Our goal is to create glasses with a Vestal vibe and aesthetic.” To communicate that story, Vestal launched Vestal Vision with a marketing campaign that features Jesse Hughes, the enigmatic mustachioed front man of the rock band Eagles of Death Metal. The next Vision campaign will feature Peaches, the rocker who is known for her over-the-top performance get-ups and her loaded lyrics. “We won’t be featuring our athletes,” Boucher said—even though Vestal counts CJ Hobgood and Jordy Smith, both ASP World Championship surfers, among its “family” of athletes.
The brand, which sells in approximately 600 doors domestically and has international distribution, plans to keep distribution of its sunglasses tight initially. “Our primary target are retailers who already carry Vestal watches, but of course we are open to finding new stores that offer the right fit and add value to the brand,” Boucher said. Retailers that sell Vestal watches are outfitted with custom branded display cases, and the company foresees retailers adding Vestal Vision glasses to those cases. To ease the introduction of the new wares, Vestal has created custom stands for the glasses.
For more information, visit www.vestalvision.com or call (949) 631-7036.—Erin Barajas
