Eyes Right Optical emerged as a dominant force in the independent optical scene’s most coveted awards program in 2025. The wins reinforce a reputation that’s built on eyewear design excellence and a service practices trust.
As the independent optical community gathered to hear the winners of the Optical Distributors and Manufacturers Association (ODMA)’s revamped awards program in 2025, one company name just kept cropping up.
Whether it was the best product, people or service, three words – Eyes Right Optical – featured prominently as ODMA’s CEO Ms Amanda Trotman recognised those making the biggest impact on the independent scene right now, as voted by 2,100 industry professionals in the lead-up to ODMAFair25 in Sydney.
But while awards often make the headlines, they rarely tell the full story.
For Eyes Right Optical managing director Mr Mark Wymond, the real victory isn’t the accolades – it’s what they represent. The relentless pursuit of high-quality product backed by exceptional customer service. Delivered day in, and day out.
“It was one of those moments where you take stock to appreciate the brands we’re fortunate to represent in the Australian market, and the work of our team,” he reflects.
“At the end of the day, all we want to do is make our customers – independent optometry practices – look good. That’s not only the frames on the shelf, but the customer service behind that too.”
Eyes Right Optical’s impressive haul at ODMAFair25 started in the Versatile Frame of the Year category, where the company reigned supreme. Best seller Face à Face’s Didot 1 topped the category. But impressively, all three finalists were frames distributed by Eyes Right Optical. The other two designs were Face à Face Offset 1 and Prodesign Denmark Glow 5.
In the Sales Representative of the Year Award, Ms Kristy Gierisch was announced the joint-winner. She’s the company’s sales rep for west Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania, and just edged out colleague Ms Belinda Bishop, also a finalist, who works as another of Eyes Right Optical’s reps in the southern states.
The company also stood tall in the Supplier of the Year category, ultimately won by HOYA. But Eyes Right Optical was the only frame wholesaler in a field dominated by lens companies, most of them multinationals.
It’s an extension of a long and consistent winning legacy for Eyes Right Optical, and other Wymond-owned eyewear supply businesses Modstyle, Morel Australasia and Sunglass Collective – especially in the frames category, with victories in 2011, 2013, 2015, 2023, 2024, and now 2025.
“During that time, we’ve continued to be the front runner in the frame category, but it’s also pleasing to do so across various brands,” Wymond says.
“Whether it’s ProDesign, Morel, Avanti, Face à Face, Project Green or Kaleos, we’ve been fortunate to distribute a host of brands that resonate with the Australian market. They’re continually trying new things, evolving in the shapes, techniques and colorways that keep them ahead of the curve. They’re the brands we like to distribute: avant-garde, at the top of their game, and creating design-driven product.”
This year’s award-winning frame, the Face à Face Didot 1, isn’t something Eyes Right Optical would normally submit for an ODMA award that usually recognises boundary pushing pieces that might not necessarily be a best-seller but are magnificent examples of design-focused eyewear.
Wymond and his team were mindful to stick to the ‘versatile’ brief, which they interpreted as best-seller designs.
“Face à Face Didot is a frame that’s selling extremely well,” he says. “It hits that sweet spot – appealing to the conservative customer who wants just a hint of colour and still wants outstanding quality.”
The Face à Face brand itself is no stranger to awards and acclaim. Designed and created by Design Eyewear Group, and distributed exclusively in Australia through Eyes Right Optical, its bold acetate cuts, vibrant colourways and expressive design language have made it one of the most recognisable luxury eyewear brands in the country.
“Design Eyewear Group have nailed the formula,” Wymond explains. “They strike this balance between saleability and avant-garde design. Just when you think all avenues have been explored, they come out with another beautiful new shape and acetate cut that’s fresh and exciting.”
Substance over sales
The independent optical community also appreciates colour in another way: colourful characters, like Gierisch. Despite being five years into the role, Wymond was thrilled, yet wasn’t surprised, she won the Sales Representative of the Year Award, given her extensive optical knowledge and character.
After many years as a respected optical dispenser-practice manager at Wills Street Eyecare in Bendigo, Victoria, and Holdfastbay Optometry in Adelaide, Gierisch joined Eyes Right Optical as a sales representative in 2020.
“Her optical acumen, her friendly nature – it just resonates with practices,” says Wymond, who’s known Gierisch for more than 20 years through her previous roles.
Gierisch carries ProDesign, Project Green, and Vera Wang, for Eyes Right Optical and Kaleos, Serengeti and Bollé for Sunglass Collective and is a popular visitor to practices across west Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania.
“She’s not just someone selling you a frame; she comes with sound optical knowledge and advice – she enters the practice and brightens your day.”
With Bishop also recognised as a finalist in the same awards category, Wymond says it’s a testament to the calibre of talent the company identifies and attracts.
“Belinda has extensive industry experience and represents Morel and Face à Face and WOOW for our southern states and with her kind and friendly nature, is a favourite for many practices,” Wymond says. “To have two finalists in that category shows the strength of the team we’ve got out on the road.”
Holding their own
One of the more quietly significant accolades at ODMAFair 25 came in the Supplier of the Year category, where Eyes Right Optical was the only frame wholesaler listed among finalists – the others being major lens players like ZEISS, Rodenstock, EssilorLuxottica and HOYA, which took out the top honour.
“We were flanked by huge multinational companies,” Wymond says. “We’re just a small family business in a lot of ways. To be mixing it with those companies, to be there or thereabouts in customer service and product offering, that’s a powerful win in itself.
“We’re not a multinational, but our relationships, our reliability, and our brands have got us to this point.”
Underpinning all of this is a service ethos that’s as much about relationships as it is about sales and data.
“We pride ourselves on being a partner in the practice’s dispensing area,” Wymond says. “We don’t do the short term, hard sell. We want to grow together, with the practice for the long term.”
That support extends to “old-school” touches on the service side. If practices call about a frame, an Eyes Right Optical customer service representative will pick it off the warehouse shelf, and ship it that day.
“We’ve got the tech to automate a lot of that, but we choose to do it this way. There’s a real reliability in that approach.”
That reputation also paid dividends at ODMAFair25 where the each of the four Wymond-owned eyewear companies nailed their most important objective – doing business.
“It was pleasing to open a number of new accounts and secure more shelf space in existing ones,” Wymond says.
“Face à Face always draws attention, but ProDesign and Avanti from Modstyle also had great reactions. And Project Green’s latest collection really turned heads. I saw people stop and come back for a closer look with some new bolder designs.
“We’re fortunate with the number of beautiful, high-quality brands we have that hold significant shelf space and weight in the industry. It’s taken some time, but we’ve reached a point where we can significantly benefit any practice’s frames range, and really could become a one-stop-shop for their frames supply.”
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