Fashion Ruler Leroy Crumbley Invents A New Way to Get Cuffed

Can you imagine—what life would be like without inventors? Can you imagine—if there was never an Imhotep, George Washington Carver or Thomas Edison? No grocery stores or supermarkets, no packaged products from far away places like Asian and Africa. Can you imagine—every American household, having to grow their own crops and hunt for their own meat? It might not be conceivable to those who take for granted, certain liberties and comforts like—coming down an escalator in the mall, talking on an iPhone or even driving a luxury sports car, which by the way—were all made possible by inventors that dedicated their lives to inventing unique or novel devices and methods—tangible and intangible things, which makes our daily lives easier and more effective to manage.

And as we move forward into the foreseeable future, today’s guest—Mr. Leroy Crumbley, is another inventor who has created a solution to a common problem, faced by many—his shirt’s cuffed sleeves wouldn’t stay in place, so—he created fashion cuffs to hold them in place, and consequently—made life better and easier for people who prefer to wear their long sleeves in cuffs. I was blessed with the opportunity to converse with Mr. Crumbley, and this is what he had to say about—growing up in Liberty City, his most memorable life moment, and the meaning of Fasheik.

ZT: Growing up, who were some of your influences?

LC: My father and my mother are my superheroes because they established my foundation by teaching me priceless life lessons, which enabled me to become a successful entrepreneur, and because of that—I will forever be grateful to them.

ZT: Walk us through your childhood years— what was life like growing up in Miami, Florida?

LC: I was raised in a rough part of Miami, called—Liberty City, and like any other inner city place in America—Liberty City has many obstacles that I had to overcome, like—poverty, gun wars and violence, under privilege circumstances and substandard living conditions, but somehow—those hindrances didn’t stop me from enjoying my childhood. It’s true what they say—life is what you make it, and believe me when I say—I had an awesome time growing up in Liberty City.

I attended Allapattah Elementary School, and years later—Allapattah Middle School. My parents came from big families, so—I always had lots of family members around me. My Mom’s family is from Wildwood, a little town between Orlando and Ocala, and occasionally on the weekend or during summer breaks—I would vacation there, and upon arrival—I would be showered with gifts—from dirt bikes and ATVs to video games, but most importantly—I would receive the best country-cooked meal—courtesy of my Grandmother.

But as I got older into my teenage years—life showed me her darkest side, and family members that I was extremely closed to—like my Dad, my Grandfather and Grandmother, and my Uncle Wayne—all past away. I was in a state of turmoil because they were my mentors. Life threw me an unexpected curveball that I didn’t see coming. For years, I pondered in my sorrows because I never got the opportunity—to personally thank them for all the good that they had done, so in dedication to their teachings and philosophies—I live righteously by loving others, as I would like them to love me.

ZT: How did the name—Fasheik, originate?

LC: I wanted a name that was original and unique—something that symbolized my brand, and after months of pondering—I thought of fashion (looking good) and sheik (a ruler), and I combined the two together and came up with—FASHEIK (fashion ruler).

ZT: What inspired you to create fashion cuffs?

LC: One day, while getting dressed—I rolled up my sleeves and got tired of them coming loose, and over a course of time—I observed other men and women experiencing the same problem, and that’s when—I started doing my due diligence and research to create something that would hold in place— rolled-up shirt sleeves, and that’s how my fashion cuffs came into existence.

ZT: What does Fasheik fashion cuffs represent? 

LC: It represents style—fashion at its highest level, and our goal is for people to look and feel classy—to not roll up their sleeves like anyone else, but to roll it up with style. Fasheik represents looking distinctive different than the rest—with a touch of elegance.

ZT: To have made it this far—you most certainly had to overcome your fair shares of obstacles, what would you say—is the greatest obstacle you had to overcome, and how did you overcome it?

LC: The mental and physical preparation that it took to get started was the most difficult to overcome. I remember—trying to cover all the loose ends by dotting my i’s and crossing my t’s, before entering into the next phase, which was—pre and post-production evaluations, and through these difficult moments—my faith in God kept me sane, and I reflected on—all the core values and principles that I learnt from my family. So therefore—God and my family gave me the confidence and strength to achieve my goals.

ZT: What’s the worst advice anyone has ever given you?

LC: The worse advice I’ve ever gotten was—don’t chase your dreams.  Play it safe by finding yourself a good job within a great company. But in reality, what they were saying was—be an employee (slave) and not an employer (master). So, to overcome people trying to steer me in the wrong direction—I had to step outside of myself—to properly evaluate the people who were giving me advice, and that’s when I realized—they had different goals in life than I had. They believed in a system, and a way of life that wasn’t in my best interest. So, respectfully—I agreed to disagree. I moved on and continued pursuing my Fasheik vision.

ZT: So far, what would you say is your greatest accomplishment?

LC: Creating the Fasheik fashion cuff brand, and being the first entrepreneur to invent fashion cuffs that are dedicated to keeping cuffed sleeves in place. I am extremely grateful to God for be able to introduce my fashion cuffs to customers—who are giving me great and wonderful feedbacks.

ZT: What’s your motto or life advice that you live by?

LC: Three G’s sums it all up for me. First and foremost—God (guide of direction), Grind (work hard but be patient), and lastly—Go (go hard for what you believe in).

ZT: What would you say—is your most memorable Fasheik moment?

LC: I would have to say—when I sold my fashion cuff to my very first customer. I remember—going to his place of business, and when he opened the door—the sleeves, to the long-sleeved shirt he was wearing, were all rolled up, so—he didn’t hesitate to use my fashion cuffs to keep his rolled-up sleeves in place. The following day, I found out that my fashion cuffs made him stand out—inside the crowded room where he dined and partied. That discovery made my day, and still to this very day—that breath-taking moment makes me smile.

ZT: What would you say—is the motivational force behind your success?

LC: God, my mother and myself, and most of all—doing something that I love doing, and wanting more than what was given to me. Being humble and being willing to do the hard work to accomplish my goals, and last but not least—creating something from nothing and giving it life.

ZT: What advice would you give to someone—who wants to open a fashion company?

LC: Put God first and do your due diligence. Be open-minded, listen and observe, and standby your gut feeling—because you will need it when you least expect it.

ZT: Years from now, when people are talking about Fashiek fashion cuffs—what will they say?

LC: I feel confident—when rolling up my sleeves in public. Thank you Fasheik.

ZT: What’s your favorite word and why?

LC: I love the words—work hard, because when you work hard—it pays off, and always remember—what you put in is what you gonna get back.

ZT: Where can people go to buy your fashion cuffs?

LC: FASHEIK.COM.

ZT: Thanks for a great interview, and as an honored guest, is there anything else you would like to say?

LC: Thank you very much for having me, and stay tuned—for more designs and the latest additions to my Fasheik Collections.

ZT: Thank you Mr. Crumbley—it was a great honor and a pleasure having you, and I wish you abundant success with your fashion cuffs, which can be purchased at Fasheik.com, and in conclusion—I want to close this wonderful Q&A session with Mel Blanc’s famous catchphrase, “That’s All Folks!” Thanks again for reading another Through the Wire article, subscribe to author, and always remember that (P) Positive, (E) Energy, (A) Always, (C) Creates, (E) Elevation (PEACE).

Written By: Zangba Thomson