It was back to the future for Modstyle at UK trade show 100% Optical, when a woman well into her 80s demonstrated what future faces might look like.
When Mark Wymond signed celebrity chef, author and television personality Prue Leith to an eyewear collaboration, he knew there would be interest. But nothing prepared him for what unfolded at 100% Optical in London this year, when Modstyle Eyewear UK officially launched the Prue Leith eyewear collection.
“The hype around Prue is something we’ve never experienced before,” says Wymond, managing director of Eyes Right Optical, which also owns Modstyle.
“We actually had a line around the stand waiting to see the product. And then at another point, a line around the stand just to have her sign a book. You don’t normally get that at a trade show.”
The 86-year-old Leith, still a mainstay on UK television and a cultural figurehead for generations of fans, appeared at the event to introduce the collection and speak about her approach to colour, fashion and confidence.
For Wymond, who has been involved in countless launches, the impact was unprecedented.
“Prue is probably one of the most iconic celebrities of her generation in the UK right now,” he says. “She’s incredibly well loved, very influential, and she brings with her this connection to colour and personality that resonates deeply in the eyewear space.”
The celebrity drawcard wasn’t the only highlight at 100% Optical, the UK’s largest optical trade show.
Modstyle also entered the show with nominations in two award categories – New Designer of the Year and Environmental Frame of the Year for its Project Green range.
Though the team didn’t take home a trophy, being shortlisted created additional visibility.
“Just being nominated is a real feather in our cap,” Wymond notes. “It brings people to the stand and tells us we’re on the right track.”
With Leith’s personal appearance, two award nominations and a major UK trade event behind them, the UK team now hands the baton to Eyes Right Optical to move to an important new phase.
Released Down Under in mid-February 2026, the collection is already generating strong early interest from Australian practices. “People love it,” Wymond says.
“We’ve already opened a number of accounts in the first fortnight.
“Normally it takes a bit of time – practices say they’ll make room next visit – but this time they’re putting it in straight away. I think we’re on to a winner.”
Leith’s designs, much like her public persona, are bold, expressive and unapologetically colourful. Yet the frames maintain commercial, wearable shapes that make them accessible to a broad range of patients.
“Australia has never been scared to wear colour,” Wymond says. “What works with Prue’s eyewear is that it pairs out-there colours with very commercial shapes.
“You only start scaring people when you combine a crazy colour with a crazy shape. But if you balance it – bright colours with wearable silhouettes – it lands really well.”
Eyes Right Optical has long had an affinity for colour through the brands it represents like Face à Face and WOOW, this collection adds depth to that story.
“We look for future trends and brands that push what eyewear can be. Prue’s collection brings all of that together,” Wymond says.
Who will buy it?
Although Leith has stronger public recognition in the UK than Australia, Wymond believes her appeal crosses borders.
“I believe the product stands on its own as a great collection, and the Prue brand is a bonus,” he says. “My aunties absolutely love her – the books, the shows, everything. And younger people who’ve watched The Great British Bake Off on streaming platforms also know her well.”
In Australia, he anticipates that the core customer base will be women aged between 60 and 80 – those who appreciate colour, enjoy distinctive eyewear and are familiar with Leith’s work.
But he expects a surprising secondary market too.
“There’s a growing audience of
25- to 35-year-olds who watch Bake Off,” he says. “That demographic is very fashion-aware, very open to colour, and they follow Prue’s shows. So it’s a bit of a mix.”
He adds that broader cultural trends are also working in the collection’s favour.
“People are more willing to wear interesting colours and shapes than they were a few years ago.
“Eyewear is an amazing fashion accessory; for a relatively low price you can change your how look instantly with a new pair of specs.”
Practices stocking the Prue Leith collection will receive a comprehensive suite of branded materials.
“There’s a whole host of imagery,” Wymond says.
“Cases, cloths, tote bags, brand blocks – everything you’d expect from a brand of this profile.”
He emphasises that practices hungry for engaging, colourful point-of-sale materials will find the collection especially valuable. “It’s joyful and bright, which gives practices something eye-catching to work with in-store.”
The excitement at 100% Optical suggests that colour is not just a trend but a movement gaining serious momentum.
“If anything, the trend is colour,” he says. “And that’s exactly what we’re providing with the Prue Leith collection.”
London’s calling . . .
Modstyle’s presence in the UK has grown steadily over the last three years, with its subsidiary now managing all the group’s brands, including Avanti and Eclipse. Having the Prue Leith collection launch first in the UK was both a strategic and practical decision.
Bringing the collection to Australia soon after was always part of the plan.
“It’s important for us to offer the same exciting products across both markets,” he says. “Australians love colour, and we think the shapes and palette will resonate strongly here – especially with older customers who want something fun, stylish and a little bit cheeky.”
While Wymond couldn’t attend the UK fair in person, his team reported back on what became one of Modstyle’s most high-energy events to date.
“We’ve exhibited at the show for the last three years, but this one was different,” he says. “The reaction to Prue, the lines around the stand, the media attention – it was unlike anything we’ve experienced.”
The award nominations also contributed to broader industry engagement.
“Even though we didn’t win, the recognition is important,” Wymond says. “It brings people over, it opens new accounts, and it reassures us that the design work we’re doing is heading in the right direction.”
For all the business momentum, Wymond speaks most fondly of Leith herself.
“Prue is very generous with her time,” he says.
“She’s cheeky, fun, doesn’t slow down. Honestly, if you’re thinking, ‘How do I want to be when I’m 86?’, she’s the model. She’s constantly working – she’s got her Cotswolds show, her South Africa show, she appears on UK morning programs regularly. She’s a real voice for her generation.”
With the Australian launch under way, the next few months will be focused on supporting practices and building awareness.
“It’s a really big project,” Wymond says. “The next couple of months will be about getting it out everywhere it needs to go.”
And if early demand is any indication, the vibrant, expressive styling of Prue Leith eyewear may soon become a familiar sight in Australian practices – and on many Australian faces.
