EYEBOBS

Somewhere on the other side of 40, Julie Allinson found herself in need of reading glasses. With the help of her optician friend (and future design collaborator) she set out to find the perfect pair. After carefully selecting her ideal frames, the final total left her with the type of sticker shock usually associated with a luxury sports car purchase or hotel mini-bar tab. A frugal farm girl at heart, Julie couldn’t bear the thought of spending the GDP of a small country on an item that would... inevitably end up lodged between the sofa cushions. When she inquired about a more reasonably priced alternative, she was directed to the rack at the local drugstore. The memory of what she saw there haunts her to this day… As a successful woman with carefully curated personal style, didn’t her eyes deserve better? And there it was, her ‘a ha' moment. If what she was looking for didn’t exist, then she would just have to make it. Allinson quickly left her job at a children’s clothing company and set to work with a singular vision: to create a line of distinctive, high-quality reading glasses for people like her, the irreverent and slightly jaded. Since starting eyebobs in 2001, that vision has become an all-consuming passion. With tongue planted firmly in cheek, Allinson and her dedicated team of optical misfits live to outfit the eyes of the smart, sarcastic and style conscious among us. Frames range from buttoned up conservative to avant garde, each crafted with exceptional quality and a dose of Allinson’s signature wit and style. eyebobs were created for the square pegs. The black sheep. The people who dare to be unapologetically themselves. Put them on and you will get noticed. Wallflowers need not apply. In March of 2015 eyebobs joined forces with Norwest Equity Partners, a leading middle market investment firm. Also based in Minnesota, Norwest Equity Partners, or “NEP” as the cool kids call it, has been investing alongside business owners and their management teams since 1961. This investment capital is a significant milestone for eyebobs and will fuel their next stage of growth. So look out eyes, they’re coming for you!More