This July, cult eyewear Bailey Nelson launched a brand new concept called After Hours, uniting Bailey Nelson’s signature style and creativity with music and pop culture. After Hours will see up and coming Australian musicians perform in the BN flagship stores after they close in the evenings. The unique venues will be small in size, making them both intimate and exclusive.

AussieR&B/ soul queen Milan Ring kicked off After Hours at her performance in Bailey Nelson’s George Street Flagship in Sydney last month. Like all upcoming performances, Milan Ring’s concert was filmed and posted online, connecting fans far and wide

Bailey Nelson has made its way into the optometry and sartorial mainstream in the last few years, and it’s no surprise why. The brand has changed glasses shopping for good, providing an experience that is less clinical, more fun, and as unique as the customers buying their shades.

The company was founded in Bondi Beach in 2012 and has since become a global phenomenon, with stores in Australia, London, Canada and, our neighbour, New Zealand. The cosmopolitan approach to experience and design is clear throughout every touchpoint, and the more customers get, the more they want.  

Bailey Nelson’s founders, Nick Perry and Peter Winkle, knew that the key to success was to change the way people shop for glasses. Or as they say online, “to right the wrongs of the eyewear industry - positively and permanently.”  Through Perry and Winkle’s collective experience of engineering, marketing, consulting and sales, they were able to transform optometry from an intimidating chore than empties your bank account to a method of building identity and personal style. In line with this mission, every element of the Bailey Nelson brand rejects traditional stereotypes of seeing glasses: introducing colour, style, and a quirky chicness to all of their shades.

While the introduction of After Hours may come as a surprise to some, it shouldn’t, as Bailey Nelson is known for doing things differently and doing them well. The brand has always been a figurehead for individualism and self-expression, and After Hours is a perfect continuation of the trend. It’s time to say goodbye to stock standard specs, and hello to ocular statements of self.

Upcoming After Hours features include Aussie pop duo Lime Cordiale. To stay in the loop follow @baileynelson.

Bailey Nelson is giving one of Backyard Opera’s readers the chance to win a free pair of BN shades. To find out more, check out Backyard Opera’s socials.