(From left) Josh Aronow and Alex Bean, creators of clothing line Twice Exceptional.
(Courtesy photo)
While sitting in a coffee shop during their sophomore year, IU seniors Josh Aronow and Alex Bean came up with an idea for a clothing brand that would not only be stylish but would draw attention to – and raise money for — an issue close to both of their hearts: learning differences.
The pair met through mutual friends and soon learned that they had both struggled with learning differences.
During elementary school, Bean was diagnosed with dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia and ADD, while Aronow was diagnosed with ADHD and a language processing delay.
“Whether it was my mom giving me a long list of things to do, or just paying attention in class, those things were just a little bit harder,” Aronow said. “But I was able to have access to resources that allowed me to learn coping mechanisms and different skills to counteract that.”
The two were able to overcome their learning differences, but not without the help they received along the way.
"We were lucky to get the support we needed to become the students we are today," Bean said, emphasizing their belief that all students should have access to such resources.
This shared conviction inspired the creation of their brand.
“Alex has always loved fashion since he can remember and, for me, I've always had an intense passion for entrepreneurship,” Aronow said. “When we first met, that intersection of fashion and entrepreneurship created a spark. We knew we wanted to create something. We weren't exactly sure what that was yet, but it eventually evolved into a clothing brand.”
As busy students, the idea got pushed aside. That was until 2022 when the pair officially launched their brand Twice Exceptional, a clothing line of hoodies, hats, and t-shirts.
“Over the summer, when we were both back home, we were like, ‘We have to do this. It would be a regret that we think about every day if we don't,’” Bean said.
The logo, designed by Aronow, highlights different learning difficulties. Abbreviated, Twice Exceptional is “2e.” The brand’s logo consists of two letters “e,” one flipped horizontally to represent dyslexia, joining together to make a smiley face.
But, Bean and Aronow did not define “twice exceptional” themselves. The term started in the 1990s.
“It's a real term that refers to those who are intellectually gifted, but who also have a learning difference, or many learning differences,” Aronow said.
Aronow and Bean are one of the few brands granted a license under IU to use the university’s likeness. Given the license, the brand’s latest design was a crimson hoodie with several Indiana University icons on the back. It included drawings of the Little 500, Isiah Thomas and the Sample Gates.
Bean will be attending Parson’s School of Design in New York City this fall. There he will study fashion management.
“In my opinion, this is a great step to understanding how we are going to make it outside of this little bubble we have here in Indiana,” Bean said. “I feel like this is a huge jump for us to get there.”
On April 8, Twice Exceptional held its first pop-up event featuring coffee, music and, of course, clothes. The event attracted a lot of visitors who were able to learn about their mission, and even share their own struggles with learning difficulties, Bean said.
“I was explaining to (a woman) what Twice Exceptional is and she started smiling,” Bean said. “She goes ‘I have two kids who are 2e.’ This is what it's all about: hearing people's stories.”
Bean and Aronow hope to expand their business to a storefront. Similar to their pop-up, they’d like to create an intersection of coffee, music and clothes where customers can enjoy all three at one time. But ultimately their goal is to end the stigma surrounding learning differences.
“We are really trying to create a community of those alike, yet vastly different where every time you put on a hoodie, it is your story, your failures, your triumphs,” Bean said. “That's what makes you twice exceptional.”
For more information on Twice Exceptional, visit their website.