Dame Prue Leith Serves Up a Cake-Inspired Eyewear Collection and It's Coming to Australia

The British culinary icon has joined forces with Modstyle Eyewear for a bold, colour-forward frame range now available to independent optical professionals.

Dame Prue Leith, DBE, broadcaster, celebrated chef and one of the most recognisable faces in British television, has launched her latest eyewear collaboration, this time with Modstyle Eyewear UK, the British arm of Modstyle Eyewear, which is owned by Australian company Eyes Right Optical. The collection, cheekily dubbed Specs by Prue, made its debut at 100% Optical, the UK's leading annual trade event for optical professionals, held at ExCeL London and organised in partnership with the Association of Optometrists. The Australian connection through Eyes Right Optical means local independent opticians are well placed to get in on the action early.

Cake as creative brief

If there's one thing Prue Leith has never been short of, it's a strong point of view. The new playful and personality-led collection of optical frames is inspired by one of Prue's greatest passions: cake. Each frame is dedicated to a favourite cake, including 'Angel,' 'Babka,' and 'Bienenstich.' It's a concept that feels quintessentially Leith: warm, irreverent and unapologetically bold.

The collection consists of 20 beautifully coloured acetate frame designs, each available in five colourways, creating 100 unique colour options across the range. From vibrant green to blue and purples to almost fluorescent pinks, from multi-layer laminated acetate to bold and clean colours, the collection is a strong style statement for any progressive eyewear wearer.

Glasses as jewellery

Dame Prue Leith has been a glasses wearer for over 50 years, and it is her love of colour and especially colourful eyewear that has inspired this range of colourful frames. That passion was on full display during her on-stage appearance at 100% Optical, where she spoke candidly about her relationship with eyewear. She shared that she will often choose her glasses first when deciding what to wear, telling delegates: "I'll build a wardrobe around the glasses."

When asked to estimate how many pairs of spectacles she owns, Leith guessed she had around seven pairs with prescriptions and 10 without. It's the kind of enthusiasm that independent opticians can absolutely work with.

On the mood-boosting power of bold eyewear, Leith told the audience: "If you put a bright pair of glasses on your face, I think you feel instantly more confident. It's the same if you wear a yellow coat in the middle of the winter — it cheers you up."

Her personal verdict on the new range? She said she is "beyond delighted" with her new specs: "They're full of colour, beautifully designed and incredibly comfortable; funky but still classy."

A natural fit for independents

Leith noted her longstanding affection for independent businesses: "I've been a businesswoman and entrepreneur all my working life. Independent opticians bring such knowledge, care and personality to what they do, and it feels like a very natural fit for me."

Her approach to the collaboration also reflects a broader philosophy she shared with the 100% Optical audience. Leith emphasised the importance of choosing the right business partners: "You should never go into business with people you don't admire and like."

Modstyle CEO Mark Wymond echoed the sentiment. "Prue and her team have been a joy to collaborate with! The whole team has brought their own unique skillset to the table, which has pushed colour in eyewear to a new level," he said.

Distribution and stockist plans

Currently stocked by approximately 200 independent opticians across the UK and Ireland, Modstyle has ambitious plans to triple its stockist base within the first year, reflecting strong early demand. Modstyle Eyewear UK holds the license for the Prue Leith Eyewear Collection and will distribute the range throughout the UK and Ireland, with international distribution by Eyes Right Optical across Australia, New Zealand and the USA.

With 100 colour options across 20 acetate styles, a celebrity ambassador who genuinely lives and breathes colourful eyewear, and a strong Australian connection through Eyes Right Optical, Specs by Prue looks set to be a strong story to tell on the dispensing floor.