Australian eyewear company Modstyle has been quietly gaining a foothold in UK and US, taking frames designed in a small Melbourne studio to independents around the world.
Mr Mark Wymond is ready to talk about some of the big boulders he’s been shifting with Modstyle.
As of late, the company – one of four eyewear wholesale businesses he operates out of Melbourne – has been demanding much of his attention. And for good reason.
“I can almost feel the switch in my head sometimes, from the right to left brain, as I go from the studio where we design Avanti, Eclipse and Kaleyedoscope frames before walking into a meeting with the bank manager.”
After acquiring an “in distress” Modstyle in 2016, Wymond and his co-owner and sister Ms Lisa Wymond have reinvigorated the company into how 1981 founder Mr Royce Jackson intended: quality, affordable,
Australian-designed eyewear that sells through independent practices.
In recent times, Wymond and fellow designer Mr Peter Bienvenu, Modstyle procurement officer, have been flexing their creative muscles to come up with more edgy designs that not only follow market trends, but aim to create new ones. Frames like Avanti Pride, the Optical Distributors and Manufacturers Association (ODMA)’s 2024 Outstanding Frame under AU$300 at O-Show 2024, are a sign of this educated experimentation.
But despite a natural flare for eyewear creativity and business, Wymond still has his work cut out for him with Modstyle.
The big reason is that Modstyle has gone global.
Given it has been in the US for the past three years and the UK for two, it’s perhaps not a huge secret, but one that Wymond is now happy to discuss after reaching a critical mass in both markets and exhibiting at major events like Silmo Paris in 2024.
With 300 independent accounts expected in the UK by the end of 2025, and 250 in the US, the strategy is galvanising the Modstyle business while taking Melbourne-designed eyewear to the world.
After fending off naysayers about these “tough markets” with price-conscious consumers, Wymond is happy with the way Modstyle is tapping into the 4,000-strong, densely-populated independent UK market, and 16,000-20,000 independent shopfronts in the US.
“There’s a number of accounts in the UK that are already very loyal who love what we do and are selling the product really well.
“The independent market in Australia is somewhere around 1,500 practices, so to find an extra 200 customers, which we currently have in the UK, is almost impossible. We’re opening a couple of new accounts each week.
“Sometimes you’ve got to trust your gut and go for it and be careful who you listen to. I’m sure there’s a lot of businesspeople that if they knew how hard it was, they wouldn’t do it again – and this can feel in that category sometimes. It is tough, but it was always going to be a marathon; we’re a few kilometers in now and starting to see progress.”
Naturally, it puts more strain on Wymond’s shoulders. But building a team he can trust has been key to the global expansion. In the UK his country manager is Mr Will Cooksey, a former national sales manager for Eyes Right Optical in Australia, who is running the business out of Camberley, an hour southwest of London.
In the US, Mr John Justice, who worked for a firm called Kenmark Eyewear for 30 years, is the vice president of sales for North America market for Modstyle International. They’ve started out and are finding great success in Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana and Tennessee.
“The difference with the American market is that our sales rep can go in any five directions from a city, and every hour there’s a town with a population closing in on the size of Adelaide,” Wymond says.
“You don’t need to have too many states to be quite successful there, so we’re well on our way.”
Aside from the prosperity of the Modstyle business, for Wymond it’s pleasing to see his concepts on the faces of patients in new markets. Around 70% of the overseas sales are Avanti, and 30% Eclipse.
“Over the years we’ve seen colour become a big part of Avanti collections, and in the Australian market we love colour in general, but interestingly worldwide it isn’t the same story. Certainly, in the States, it seems like there’s a lot more interest in black and tortious shell, and to go bright pink or orange is quite foreign to them.”
Following and setting trends
Many of these designs wouldn’t be possible if it wasn’t for an important project completed at the Modstyle headquarters in Scoresby, suburban Melbourne, a couple of years ago. A new purpose-built space became the creative engine room for Wymond and Bienvenu to formulate their Avanti, Eclipse and Kaleyedoscope designs.
It’s something that comes naturally to Wymond and he’s careful to carve out time, uninterrupted. No electronics are welcome, and business decisions can wait.
His other companies – Eyes Right Optical, Sunglass Collective and Morel Australasia – are fulfilling ventures in their own right, but they all focus on supplying eyewear from other manufacturers. That’s where Modstyle differs.
“Eyewear design is a great creative outlet for me and I get so much satisfaction from creating something from the initial drawings and final production, all the way to it being sold in the practice.”
Rewarding moments can be found in his daily life, like a recent trip to Bunnings where an attendant was wearing an Avanti frame he designed.
“Peter and I are commercial designers, we typically design for the market and trends, eyewear that’s an easy sell, but we have had some special projects along the way where we’ve been intentional about creating a whole new concept from start to finish, turning Modstyle into a creation company as well.”
Avanti Pride is a case in point. The heart-shaped frame has a striking rainbow-coloured acetate to embody inclusivity and diversity, offering a unique, bold look that resonates with contemporary trends. It also supports a noble cause, with $5 from every sale donated to the Elton John AIDS Foundation.
Modstyle was proud to have the piece recognised through ODMA’s awards at O-Show as voted by independent optometrists, dispensers, etc.
Now, Wymond is adapting the design with a more modern frame shape to be entered for the awards at 100% Optical in London, where Modstyle is exhibiting in March 2025.
“It’s a big challenge to create collections that are going to resonate with the market in different ways. The only limitation is our creativity, but even as we push boundaries, we still have a strong focus on saleability.
“We don’t want to create frames just because they look good on the shelf.”
Keeping the Modstyle brand collections fresh and relevant is a big ask, but it’s a taller order ensuring the P&L is on track across several markets.
All while juggling a young family with three children, and 42 staff. The increased workload was one of the things his parents, Mrs Gaye and Mr David Wymond, were most concerned about. They understand the pressure of running a business after founding Eyes Right Optical.
He needs to be deliberate about work-life balance. There’s always work to do. “I could work 24/7 if I allowed myself to.
“I’m still young. I want to work hard but it’s not all about just working harder and more hours. The one thing we’ve been able to develop is an exceptional team that’s helping Modstyle go to a new level, especially overseas.”
For Jackson, who founded Modstyle 44 years ago, he couldn’t imagine a better custodian than the Wymonds.
“The growth into the US and UK markets is very exciting, it is so good to see the company Modstyle in safe hands. It is great to see Peter Bienvenu still invovled too; he has been with the company for more than 30 years.”
Modstyle brands … In Mark Wymond’s words
Avanti – “Modstyle’s flagship brand with a huge focus on quality acetates and hinges in exciting wearable colour ways. This award-winning collection consists of more than 300 skus.”
Eclipse – “Materials like titanium, multiflex, stainless steel and TR90 are features of this collection that embodies more of a conservative, corporate look. We’re making robust, well-made frames through some exceptional factories in South Korea that puts the quality aspect into a frame but is still at the entry level price point.”
Kaleyedoscope – “This is a small kids collection that’s very colourful. We have about 15 active models, so about 45 skus at one time, and that’s the sort of size I like to keep it at. A quick-moving collection like that is probably where our market’s at right now.”
Nifties – “It’s a collection for those smaller eye shapes, but not with love hearts and other bits and pieces. They’re for adults with smaller faces, but also kids that want to look like what mum and dad are wearing too.”
Inface – “A Danish-designed collection that embodies the Scandinavian spirit of design, balance.”
My Style – “For the budget conscious – high quality, wearable styles starting at $9.90.”
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