New Look Vision Group invests in Topology

New Look Vision Group Inc has confirmed that it has acquired an equity interest in Topology, a San Francisco-based leader in custom-tailored eyewear.

The investment will allow New Look Vision Group exclusive rights to retail Topology products in Canada and other selected markets, with the first products expected to be initially available in 15 stores across Canada in October, located in Quebec, Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia, with a wider national roll-out in the first half of 2020.

“The high-end custom-tailored eyewear market offers attractive opportunities to grow the premium segment of our business,” said Antoine Amiel, president and chief executive officer of New Look Vision in a statement. “Topology is leading the way in bringing technology to the world of custom-tailored eyewear, a segment at the crossroads of technology, cutting edge frames and precise optical measurement.”

Amiel added: “The rationale for New Look’s investment in Topology is our shared belief that online technology can make eyewear better rather than cheaper. With our significant retail footprint and our insight into customer demand for eyewear, the partnership will support Topology’s constant evolution of styles and designs, and will bring Topology to the Canadian consumers through retail, which remains the primary channel in the eyewear industry.”

Eric Varady, Topology’s founder and chief executive stated: “We are delighted to partner with a leader in optical retail. New Look Vision Group is a forward-thinking organisation with a demonstrated track record of leveraging technology to elevate its customers’ retail experience. We are excited to expand the ways in which consumers will be able to experience Topology by offering our custom-tailored eyewear in-store to New Look’s discerning customer base.”

Topology uses the latest in 3D facial scanning, augmented-reality, and advanced manufacturing to create custom-tailored eyewear for each and every individual. The brand’s patented mobile app takes over 20,000 measurements to develop a millimetre-accurate 3D model of one’s facial features, it then automatically adjusts each eyewear design to perfectly fit to offer custom-tailored eyewear. Each pair of glasses is cut from Italian acetate or light-weight, flexible stainless steel, uniquely inscribed with the customer's name, and outfitted with lenses of unsurpassed clarity and quality.