A high-end sustainability collection and the return of iconic British eyewear label William Morris are the latest brands to join the Eyes Right Optical stable, providing independent optical practices with more possibilities to separate their business from the bunch.
When Mr Mark Wymond, managing director and CEO of eyewear wholesaler Eyes Right Optical, looks at his annual event calendar, the biggest and boldest circle is often drawn around an ODMA trade event. This year it’s O=MEGA23, which presents not only as a chance to build key business connections with independent optical practices, but an opportunity to make a splash with new collections.
Two new additions to the company’s portfolio will feature prominently on the Eyes Right Optical stand for different reasons.
The first of these collections is Project Green, a new range of sustainable eyewear that has set out to satisfy environmentally-conscious practices – and end consumers – with high quality bio-acetates, compostable demo lenses and a market leading hinge design.
The other collection to feature at O=MEGA23 – combining with the 4th World Congress of Optometry 8-10 September in Melbourne – is the well-established British brand William Morris, which is returning to the Eyes Right Optical fold after being acquired by Design Eyewear Group in September 2022. The Charles Stone eyewear brand is also included in this new deal.
Wymond says these latest additions complement the Eyes Right Optical portfolio that includes brands such as FACE À FACE, WOOW and ProDesign. They fit within the framework of supplying high quality, designed-focused fashionable eyewear to mid- to high-end independent optical practices, or the top-end of a budget conscious store.
‘The Tesla of sustainable eyewear’
In Project Green, Wymond says there is an opportunity to fulfil an unmet need. While sustainable eyewear collections exist, he believes major improvements can be made to capture other parts of the market.
“Project Green has been created as a high-end, environmentally-friendly collection that doesn’t compromise on quality, style, look, or feel. This collection aims to be more like the Tesla of sustainable eyewear, rather than the Prius,” he says.
“It has been designed to have an eco-friendly feel that uses bio acetates from world-leading Mazzucchelli acetates, as well as other high-end eyewear material providers from around the world. It also features bio demo lenses that break down under compost conditions. They also come in a reconstituted leather case.”
The new brand, launching worldwide in September 2023, features about 30 models and 120 SKUs, which are predominantly feminine in style, but there are several men’s designs too.
According to Wymond, some hallmarks of the collection include earthy tones, contemporary shapes, and attention to detail. One of the key features is a collaboration with Visottica Comotec, a global leader in customised components for frames. Project Green will feature the company’s patented 2D hinge that allows up and down movement of the temples, and a higher resistance to bending than traditional flex hinges.
For Eyes Right Optical, launching a new sustainable collection fits with the company’s own focus of minimising its environmental footprint – something it initiated long before it became mainstream.
For example, the electricity bill for its premises in Scoresby, Victoria, is less than $500 per quarter thanks to solar panels sprawled across its roof. The company also uses hybrid cars, actively composts and recycles and even has a veggie garden. Other moves include a shift towards 100% compostable courier bags, and the development of a Sustainable and Ethical Practices Policy in 2020 that also includes the practices of its own suppliers.
It all forms part of a wider trend in the optical sector whereby more suppliers and eyecare providers are moving to sustainable practices to align with consumer expectations.
“Even though we have been implementing all these initiatives, we’ve found there is a real appetite for an environmentally friendlyeyewear collection – and that’s why we’ve gone about sourcing this new product, Project Green,” Wymond says.
“There’s definite demand for it. I feel people want to do the right thing and act sustainably, but they don’t want to compromise on quality or style. So that’s the opportunity we see with this collection.”
Return of a bold British brand
The introduction of William Morris, founded in 1996 by Mr Robert William Morris, represents a ‘full circle’ moment for the Wymond family. Eyes Right Optical held the local distribution for William Morris in the early 2000s when it was owned and operated by Mark’s parents Mrs Gaye and Mr David Wymond. This marked its arrival on the Australian market, but in more recent years a different distributor held the rights here.
In a major development in September 2022, Danish company Design Eyewear Group – which develops and markets iconic eyewear brands – signed a deal to acquire William Morris London. The agreement incorporates the William Morris sub collections London and Black Label and, separately, Charles Stone New York, a standalone brand launched in 2013.
With Eyes Right Optical being a long-term partner and exclusive Australia and New Zealand supplier of Design Eyewear Group brands, this means William Morris and Charles Stone will join its portfolio from 1 August 2023 and will be on display at O=MEGA23.
Inspired by original London and New York styles, the acquisition complements the existing brands on offer by Design Eyewear Group and Eyes Right Optical, which includes four Danish (ProDesign, Kilsgaard, Inface and Nifties) and three French labels (Face a Face, WOOW and Alium).
“We’re delighted to take the collection back on. We’ve been watching the progression and development of William Morris London from afar and have been impressed with the direction Robert has taken it. When Design Eyewear Group took it on and wanted us to take on the distributorship, we were delighted to accept,” Wymond says.
“We’re excited by the London-look of the collections with striking shapes and bold style. Robert’s style and flare is unique, and I feel it’s a good price point for the level of quality.”
The William Morris London deal with Design Eyewear Group will see Morris continue in the new setup as the senior brand ambassador. In this role, he will ensure that both customers and employees worldwide gain an insight into the company’s DNA and the British design philosophy, while ensuring the design style is continued and developed for all brands under the William Morris London portfolio.
Mr Lars Flyvholm, CEO of Design Eyewear Group, says the acquisition is being seen as an opportunity by Morris to grow and develop the William Morris brands further in all markets.
“Design Eyewear Group strives to have a portfolio of designer brands keeping true to their identity … we feel it was a perfect fit adding on a UK design brand, expanding the choice for our opticians worldwide,” he says.
“The Australian market is very important for these brands. Being one of our biggest markets already, bringing the William Morris brands to a level of how our other brands are performing is very exciting. From a design and marketing point of view, the very clear British identity will bring a lot of awareness and appreciation among Australian customers.”
Flyvholm thanked Frames Etc who has supported the establishment of the William Morris brand in the Australian market for several years, however, it makes sense to switch Eyes Right Optical who Design Eyewear Group has a 20-year-plus relationship with.
“Eyes Right Optical has successfully grown the business for the brands of Design Eyewear Group year-after-year via strong communication and exceptional customer service. At Design Eyewear Group we always look for the best synergies to provide the best service to our customers so the choice to change the distribution was part of that,” Flyvholm says.
Morris is delighted that William Morris London is now joining forces with Eyes Right Optical and Design Eyewear Group.
“I’m very proud of the development William Morris London has undergone since it all began more than 25 years ago,” he says. “I’m also convinced that Design Eyewear Group is the right partner to grow the company further through their global sales network, which was launched almost 50 years ago when ProDesign was founded in Aarhus in 1973.”
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