Anne et Valentin Azur: The Hexagon Question (and All Twelve Colorways)
In short: Azur is Anne et Valentin's hexagonal frame in French acetate, designed in Toulouse, France, at $385. It is offered in twelve colorways — the widest color range of any Anne et Valentin model we carry — and Tortoise/Blue (SKU 25A28) is the single unit in stock; the other eleven can be special-ordered. There are fifteen product photographs on the Azur product page, and the in-stock pair is here to try on.
Most eyewear shapes are variations on two ideas: the circle and the rectangle. Round, oval, pantos, cat-eye, square, aviator — each is a softer or sharper reading of the same basic geometry. Anne et Valentin's Azur does something less common. It is a hexagon: six sides, six corners, a shape that reads as drawn rather than merely shaped. That one decision is what makes Azur among the most distinctive frames in the Anne et Valentin collection at Gazal Eyecare.
The shape story: geometric, graphic, deliberately not soft
Anne et Valentin describes Azur as "geometric and playful, hexagonal and graphic." Those four words do a lot of work. Geometric and hexagonal are literal: the rims are built from straight runs meeting at angles rather than one continuous curve, so the outline has real corners in it. Graphic is about how the frame behaves on a face — a shape with corners creates lines, and lines read from across a room. Playful is the counterweight. Angularity on its own can tip into severity; Azur's proportions keep the hexagon from going hard-edged.
Anne et Valentin also writes a short personality sketch for each model, and Azur's is unusually specific: "Refined, strict, in love with academics. Enjoys art galleries, short espressos. Expressive, brainy, cool, fluid and elegant." Brand copy is brand copy — but this sketch is useful as a fitting note, because it tells you what the designers thought they were making. Refined and strict point at the precision of the hexagon; expressive and fluid point at the fact that it is not a cold shape. If you want a frame that looks considered rather than accidental, that is the register Azur is written in.
French acetate, designed in Toulouse
Azur is a French acetate frame, designed in Toulouse, France. The material choice matters here for a practical reason as much as an aesthetic one. Color in acetate lives inside the material rather than sitting on top of it as a coating, which is why tortoise, speckle and two-tone effects gain depth when you turn a frame in the light. On a geometric frame, that depth warms a hard outline. A hexagon in flat, single-tone plastic would read as graphic and nothing else; a hexagon in mottled tortoise or two-tone acetate reads as graphic and warm at once — which is the tension this model is built around.
Exact frame measurements — eye size, bridge and temple length — are worth confirming with us directly, because fit on an angular frame depends heavily on where the corners land relative to your temples and cheeks. [NEEDS VERIFICATION: published measurements for Azur]
Who Azur suits
The honest version of face-shape advice is that it is a starting point, not a rule. The general principle opticians work from is contrast: angular frames add definition against softer, rounder features, and softer frames balance strongly angular ones. By that logic Azur — a distinctly angular frame — tends to do its most visible work on a face with rounder or softer lines, and deserves a more careful look on a face that is already strongly angular. That is guidance, not a verdict. Plenty of people wear frames that "shouldn't" work and look excellent in them.
The more reliable filter is intent. Azur is not a disappearing frame. It is for someone who wants eyewear to be a visible part of how they present themselves — the same person who chooses an architectural watch or a structured coat. If you want your glasses to stay quiet, the rest of the Anne et Valentin collection has gentler options.
The colorway question: twelve options, one on the shelf
Azur is offered in twelve colorways, which makes it the widest color range of any Anne et Valentin model we carry. That is the interesting thing about this frame and the complicated thing about it, at the same time.
Right now, one of the twelve is in stock: Tortoise/Blue (SKU 25A28), and we have a single unit of it. The other eleven — Red, Olive/Pink, Tortoise/Pink, Black/Speckled Crystal, Purple/Green, Dark Tortoise, Tortoise/Yellow, Purple, Green, Tortoise/Orange and Tortoise/Beige — are currently out of stock and can be special-ordered. We do not publish a lead time, because it varies; contact us and we will confirm current availability for the color you want.
So how do you actually choose among twelve hexagons? A few things help:
- Decide how loud you want the shape to be. Single, saturated colors — Red, Purple, Green — put the geometry front and center. Nothing in the acetate competes with the outline, so the hexagon is the whole statement.
- Tortoise variants split the difference. Dark Tortoise and the tortoise-based two-tones carry pattern inside the acetate, which draws a little attention away from the corners and makes the frame easier to wear every day without it dominating every photograph.
- Two-tones add a second idea. Tortoise/Blue, Olive/Pink, Purple/Green, Tortoise/Pink, Tortoise/Yellow, Tortoise/Orange and Tortoise/Beige pair a familiar base with an accent. If you like the hexagon but want a reason to keep looking at the frame, this is the group to sit in.
- Black/Speckled Crystal is the most restrained of the set. It is the one to try if the shape is what sold you and you would rather the color said nothing at all.
With a single unit of Tortoise/Blue in house, it is also the only colorway you can try on and take home the same day — so if you are deciding between the shape and a specific color, try the in-stock pair first to settle the shape question, then special-order the color you want.
There are fifteen product photographs on the Azur product page, which is more useful than usual here: angular shapes photograph very differently head-on versus three-quarter, and Azur is a model where the three-quarter views tell you more than the front view does.
Price and value
Azur is $385. What that buys is a French acetate frame designed in Toulouse, in a shape almost nobody else is making — the hexagon does not show up in mass-market assortments, because it is harder to wear and harder to sell than a soft rectangle. That scarcity is most of the value proposition: you are not paying for a shape you can approximate elsewhere for less.
Azur is part of an ongoing series on the Anne et Valentin frames we carry at Gazal Eyecare, alongside Flora 2 and Barceloneta. If you want to see how the hexagon sits on your face, the in-stock Tortoise/Blue is here to try on — and if one of the other eleven is the one you have in mind, get in touch and we will check availability.
More on Anne et Valentin
- The Anne et Valentin Design Story: Why French Frames From Toulouse Look Like Nothing Else
- Anne et Valentin Collections & Frames: How to Choose Your Pair
- Anne et Valentin: Acetate vs. Metal Frames — How to Choose Between the Two
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Azur colorways does Gazal Eyecare carry?
Twelve. That is the widest color range of any Anne et Valentin model in our collection: Tortoise/Blue, Red, Olive/Pink, Tortoise/Pink, Black/Speckled Crystal, Purple/Green, Dark Tortoise, Tortoise/Yellow, Purple, Green, Tortoise/Orange and Tortoise/Beige.
Which Azur colorway is in stock right now?
Tortoise/Blue (SKU 25A28). We currently have one unit of it in house, and it is the only Azur colorway available to try on and take home the same day.
Can I order the other Azur colors?
Yes — the remaining eleven colorways are out of stock but can be special-ordered. Lead times vary, so we do not publish a fixed timeframe. Contact us and we will confirm current availability for the specific color you want.
What face shapes suit a hexagonal frame like Azur?
The general principle opticians use is contrast: an angular frame like Azur adds definition against softer, rounder facial features, while a softer frame tends to balance strongly angular ones. Treat that as a starting point rather than a rule — how a hexagonal frame actually sits depends on where its corners land relative to your temples and cheeks, which is only really answerable by trying it on.
How much is Anne et Valentin Azur?
$385 for the frame.