When Brad Manning and Bryan Manning were in kindergarten, Brad a few years before Bryan, they both failed their vision exams. Doctors diagnosed both with Stargardt disease, a rare genetic disease that causes progressive blindness.
Almost three decades later, the Manning brothers have made a name for themselves as Two Blind Brothers, a clothing company featuring ultra-soft designs with profits going towards blindness research. Now adding to the company’s collection of feel-good shirts, hats, socks and bags, Two Blind Brothers has announced a partnership with L’Amy America and the collection launch of 2BB Eyewear.
THE STORY BEHIND TWO BLIND BROTHERS
The idea to create their own clothing and accessory line came to the Manning brothers during a shopping trip to Bloomingdale’s. They each spent almost an hour in the large department store and met back up when they were ready to check out—with the exact same shirts in hand.
The shirt drew them in not because of color or design, they say, but because of how the shirt felt. The brothers’ other senses have heightened as their disease has progressed, they explain, so how their clothing feels is the main way they choose what to buy. The brothers decided to create their own brand with a mission to donate to ocular research foundations. After six months of planning—sweating the details down to the feel of the buttons–Two Blind Brothers was born.
EXPANDING THEIR REACH
Two Blind Brothers has already donated almost $2 million to Foundation Fighting Blindness and another $1.5 million to other blindness organizations. The brothers have told their story at numerous optometric conferences, and they’ve been featured on the Ellen Show, Inside Edition, People Magazine, Good Morning America, the New York Post, MSNBC and a variety of news and talk shows.
Now, the brand is broadening its scope and philanthropic efforts by launching 2BB: Eyewear with L’Amy America. The collection includes 16 frame styles in three colors for men and women, all lightweight and featuring the Two Blind Brothers signature two dots on the temple tip that represents “brothers.”
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Two Blind Brothers and L’Amy America came together with the help of the plush puppies, sold on the brothers’ website. Used as a promotional tool initially, L’Amy America invested in more than 5,000 of these puppies and started telling the story of Two Blind Brothers to all of its customers. The story of the brothers was so compelling, and it quickly became a natural evolution of their partnership.
Bryan Manning says, “L’Amy is the right partner with the right mindset and desire to give back within the optical community. This collection brings us back to the beginning of our journey in an optometrist’s office. To now be the brand on the wall helping others achieve better vision is the greatest gift we could imagine.”
“This collaboration is a testament to our dedication to making a positive impact within the optical community by offering our customers a unique and purposeful product,” said Stephen Rappoport, CEO of L’Amy America. “Our collaboration with Brad and Bryan Manning has been so impactful to us and our customers from the very beginning.”
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A STORY THAT RESONATES
Steve Rice, OD, of Vision Clinic, a five-location practice in Missouri, met the brothers and says he immediately felt the 2BB frame line was an excellent fit for his office. “They are genuine. They’ve chosen a positive road to help others, which is great. Our office DNA is benevolence, so having a brand that fits in with that is a story that will resonate with our patients and staff,” he says.
L’Amy America has committed to donate 10% of the sales from this frame line to Two Blind Brothers, which will donate those funds directly to one of the charities it works with. “When I brought that story to the doctor and staff in my offices, they loved it. It fits who we are, and our patients will appreciate knowing that their purchases potentially can help others.”
Learn more about Two Blind Brothers brand here.
Read more about L’Amy America brands on WO here.
