The Manning brothers’ enthusiasm for their business, and life in general, is pure and rooted in a common mission to amplify Stargardt disease, and a broad spectrum of inherited retinal eye diseases, and a possible cure. It feels good to, well, feel good, especially after the last year of staying inside and watching a grim world. One understands the universal appeal of such joy, promoted on daytime television shows, and in glossy weekly magazines. The Manning brothers never miss a beat, even if they are in separate states: one in New York, the other in Virginia. We had a desire to do some good,” says Bradford Manning. “You have to understand that Bryan and I had no ecommerce experience, no fashion experience, no marketing experience prior to this. Shoppers wouldn’t know exactly what they would receive other than a few specifications on clothing type and size.Ī crucial brand tenet is trust: learning to trust in the process of buying without sight, touching clothes, and acting, as Bryan says, “a little like a five-year-old.” The mission-driven origin of Two Blind Brothers In 2017, they launched the Shop Blind initiative where buyers could, in essence, shop like a person with blindness.
Two Blind Brothers illuminates the barriers in the fashion industry-reconceptualizing inclusivity and diversity for their buyers. They have become the much-needed representation they sought as children, despite demuring when I make that point.
Two Blind Brothers combines the Mannings’ love for soft, quality clothing and amplifying a cause that's near to their heart. Stay on top of the latest ecommerce trends and insights with our biweekly newsletter Sign me up Nearly five years ago, the Manning brothers abandoned the lives they had crafted up to that point and started a new, wholly unfamiliar journey on the path to fashion and philanthropy. An idea occurred then and there: What if they created a brand that allowed other people without a visual impairment to shop as though they did? And, as that bulb shone brighter in their heads, they thought, what if profits from the brand went to finding a cure? In 2016, Bryan and Bradford found themselves lost in a New York department store and, coincidentally, bought the exact same shirt without the other knowing. This is not the last thing these brothers share. Bradford ended up working for a bank before pursuing a master’s degree in psychology, meanwhile, Bryan worked in sales at Oracle.īryan and Bradford Manning also have Stargardt disease, which causes loss of sight, something they were diagnosed with when they were children. And sharing is something of a familiar, common thing with the Manning brothers: Both Bryan and Bradford went to the University of Virginia, five years apart, one with a degree in finance, the other a degree in statistics. It’s refreshing, and encouraging, to see true sibling affection outside the bounds of perhaps your own-sharing in the secret that all siblings feel a weird combination of competition and affection for the other. Even on a Zoom call, before answering a question, both offer sentiments of encouragement and love before hurling yet another joke. Bryan and Bradford Manning act like typical siblings: they make jokes at the others’ expense, reveal embarrassing secrets, and try to one-up each other.
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