For Ahmed, who has been working in the eyeglass business his entire life, and Fodil, who is a multi-faceted creative, Point of U was a natural extension of their combined talents in an industry they both love.  

Ahmed managed the eyeglass division at the prestigious Louis Boston for eight years, where he had the opportunity to hone his consulting, wholesale buying, customer service, and managerial skills, as well as developing and refining his abilities as a stylist. He was later recruited by the Tannery and Concepts International to be their global eyewear buyer and manager of their Harvard Square locations. Over the course of eleven years, he was so successful working with people and so instrumental in helping to forge the companies’ brands, that both stores were sold to Zappos. 

“As a stylist, I learn your perspective, then based on my knowledge of color harmony, as well as how design and face shape interplay, combined with fashion and current trends, I give my point of view and suggest ideas,” Ahmed says. “I love the entire process of helping people find the right eyeglasses for them. The face is important; it’s what people see first and the most. When you wear a nice pair of glasses, it compliments your face. When people come in here, it’s a shopping experience that empowers and makes them feel their best. And, I’m a people person— I love meeting people and getting to know them.” 

Fodil’s passion for creativity began at an early age and was inspired by his father’s profession. Growing up in Brussells and Paris, the son of a publisher, Fodil would spend hours immersed in the tactile world of magazine and book typography, experimenting with type font, characters, color and photography.  

As an adult, he worked in Boston as a graphic designer, and eventually started his own creative design companies in the US, Barcelona, and North Africa. 

“Travel is such an important part of what drives me,” Fodil says. “I have been all over South America, Asia, and Africa. The exposure to different architectures, cultures, and people informs my work and designs, and feeds my creativity. 

“Point of U is a name I came up with five or six years ago. I have always liked to design glasses, and Ahmed and I envisioned a concept store that would combine function and beauty so that they are seamlessly interwoven. Our goal is to match people with the products that enhance their own individual style, that work harmoniously with who they are and how they express themselves— a store that is all about U.” 

Ahmed and Fodil both bring a sense of joy and strength of purpose to making Point of U a brand that is current and on-point, and pleasing to the eye. They plan to go wild and wide with their concept, expanding their reach to encompass a range of products that enhance the beauty that is U.  

“To me, the name Point of U captures the reality that the shared world we occupy is seen in a different way by us all, but that there still is space for us to have what we want, and share our individual Point of U,” Ahmed says.