Sell-out New Zealand sunglass brand Bored George sees huge growth amidst cost-of-living crisis with 27-year-old at the helm
New Zealand sunglasses brand Bored George started by a 23-year-old after returning from her OE in 2019 has seen unprecedented growth.
What started as a hobby for Botany-bred Georgia Patten has now become a flourishing full-time business with her fashion forward sunglasses now in more than 90 stockists across New Zealand and Australia.
The brand’s remarkable growth is evident, with a rapid increase in stockists from 28 in March last year to more than 90 last month, including at respected retailers like Smith and Caugheys, Max Fashion, Sills and Co and Repertoire.
Additionally, Bored George achieved an impressive 82.6 per cent revenue increase over the past financial year, with a staggering 1120.29 per cent growth compared to two years ago, Patten said.
Bored George’s dedication to wholesale expansion in New Zealand, and the upcoming entry into the Australian market, has garnered recognition. Bored George was named ‘one to watch’ by organisers of the prestigious Life Instyle Tradeshow.
Patten, who is now 27, won most outstanding established business at the David Awards last month. She has also been named as a finalist for best emerging business in the 2 Degrees Business Awards in December.
Patten, who named her brand after her travel blog, Not So Bored George, she started while travelling the world in her early 20s, left New Zealand at the age of 19 on her own to explore the globe. She grew up in Golflands and attended Botany Primary, Howick Intermediate and Howick College. Her first job was at Basalt in Howick.
Choosing to not go to university, she instead quickly made a name for herself in London managing physio clinics thanks to her Kiwi work ethic. She spent most of her free time exploring Europe.
It was there her passion for sunglasses emerged and, on returning to New Zealand, she decided to begin her own brand. Patten said Bored George aims to bridge the gap between fashion and function, offering eyewear that reflects mood, attitude, and personality while remaining affordable.
“Bored George started as a hobby with no intention of growing it into a bigger business,” Patten told the Times.
“However after seeing the response from friends, family and followers when first launching our product, I realised there was a big gap for fashionable, affordable, quality eyewear.
“At the time New Zealand didn’t have many go-to eyewear brands that were local. I saw a chance to create something that could both fill my need for a challenge and give the community a brand that not only could provide them with a quality product but give them a story to follow and an adventure to be a part of.”
Using a growing social media community on TikTok and Instagram, the brand has seen huge success online with most styles selling out even at pre-order stage. Building hype and momentum through its online community has been key to growth.
“Our styles sell out even at pre-order stage and I have found sharing this with our community has, in turn, helped with even more sales,” said Patten.
“It’s been a key part of our strategy. Being open and showing behind the scenes of small business life fosters a sense of community that just drives the brand.”
Bored George is also on a sustainability journey too and uses plant-based acetate from the Mazzucchelli factory in Milan, Italy. Their most recent ranges are made from M49 bioacetate, classified as a biodegradable material.
For more on Bored George, head to boredgeorge.com.
