Romani community member Petr Ščuka is the only manufacturer in the Czech Republic producing T-shirts, bow ties or linen bags featuring Romani flags made from hand-glued, imported Swarovski crystals that he sells through his e-shop. The idea to establish an online business came to him three years ago after he produced such a t-shirt for himself with the sparkling little crystals.
"My wife and I originally planned to open a small shop in 2020 with Romani-themed items, we were going to offer t-shirts for both men and women. The pandemic spoiled our plan and we never did open a physical location," he complains.
I have to say it is the gluing that takes the longest because each crystal is really miniature, you have to get the hang of it and have a steady hand. One t-shirt takes roughly 100 crystals," Šcuka reveals, adding that he is processing orders from Austria, Slovakia and the USA.
"After a year on the market we are targeting not just Slovakia and America, but also Great Britain or Canada. The goods are not being ordered from us just by Romani people, but also by majority-society people, or by those who work with Romani people or in pro-Romani organizations," Ščuka concludes.
