How it all started

Radek's early childhood

Our story begins in a small village, where Radek Hejl was born. He was born to a working class family, together with two brothers, and knew nothing else but everyday struggle. His mother couldn’t go to work because she was full-time taking care for their grandpa and the household, which left Radek’s father no choice, but to work two jobs, barely scraping by from month to month.

As the years of his not so delightful childhood were passing by, his sight weakened. His father promised him, that he will get a pair of brand new eyeglasses when he'll go to school. You can imagine the look on Radek’s face when he heard the news, and all the excitement and the thrill of waiting to be old enough to go to school.

Finding the perfect glasses

The time has finally come. School was just around the corner and his father took him to town so he could finally pick his very own, very first pair of eyeglasses. They stepped into the opticians store and his eyes lit up like the sky on New Year’s Eve. Dozens of different models, colours, patterns… He was in awe and couldn't believe it. He was starting to think that picking just one model, out of dozens, is not going to be an easy task. Overwhelmed by the selection, he suddenly froze. He still remembers to this day, the eyeglasses sitting on the highest shelf in the third row on the right. Elegant, mostly black frame with a Havana pattern, metal finish on the temples, and when he put them on, oh boy did they make him feel and look good.

The disappointment

Seeing how happy he was with the eyeglasses, the father asked the clerk about the price. His face went pale. They were far too expensive and he knew that Radek will be devastated. With a soft and sad voice his father asked the clerk if he could show them something more affordable. He gave them a grim look and went in the back of his store. He soon returned with a cardboard box containing a single pair of eyeglasses. He didn't like the model, he didn't like the colour, and honestly he just found them straight up hideous. Not to mention they didn't really fit him and more than anything, he just looked silly. I'll take them, he said holding back tears as he knew his father's suffering is far greater than his.

School began and his dream of having the finest pair of eyeglasses in school quickly faded away. He was always being mocked, made fun of and never really felt like he fitted in. One day, after being called an owl for the twenty-seventh time that day he had enough. He ran out of the school and into the woods. As sadness was slowly turning into anger he made a promise to himself: "If I'm ever successful, I will make sure that anyone will be able to buy quality glasses at an affordable price and that anyone will be able to find a pair that fits them perfectly".

How a vision became a reality

Here we are now, almost 35 years later, as his vision and promise is becoming a reality. The world was so cruel to Radek that he just couldn't forget that word. Cruel. That's how the name Crullé was born. Such similar words with a completely different meaning. Cruel representing the sadness and hard times, and Crullé representing all the joy, love and passion in this world. He dreams and hopes that the world will become less cruel and more Crullé.