Background

Mr. Choo was was born in Penang, Malaysia, on November 15, 1948 into a family of shoemakers.

Education

Jimmy Choo made his first shoe aged only 11. At first he attended primary school in Malaysia. Studying at Cordwainer’s Technical College in London, now part of the London College of Fashion, he worked in restaurants and as a cleaner to support himself through College. He graduated from it in 1983.

Career

Following his graduation, Mr. Choo opened his first shop in 1986 and ran his business out of an old hospital building that he rented in Hackney. His unique approach to design and superior handmade craftsmanship made him an almost instant success as customers took notice. His early work for high end clients was almost entirely on a commission basis and he labored over client specific details to match personal design tastes and color schemes.

His original design style and hard work paid off in 1988, when he was featured in an eight page spread in Vogue magazine. His notoriety received an additional boost two years later when cultural icon Diana the Princess of Wales became a frequent customer. In 1996, despite his huge popularity, Mr. Choo was still running a fairly small and personal operation that only produced about 20 hand-made pairs of shoes a week. His designs took off as an international brand when he worked together with the accessories editor for British Vogue, Tamara Mellon, to co-found Jimmy Choo Ltd. Then onwards, Choo opened stores in New York and Los Angeles with Hollywood divas like Renee Zellweger and Julia Roberts adoring the collections.

After selling his 50% stake in Jimmy Choo Ltd. for £10 million in 2001, Jimmy Choo focused his work almost entirely on the exclusive Jimmy Choo Couture line produced under that label, even though the company remains under the control of Mellon. The Jimmy Choo Ready-To-Wear line is also Mellon's responsibility, and has recently expanded to include handbags and other accessories. Mr. Choo is no longer involved with the company in an official or design capacity, and focuses instead on his own work.

Jimmy Choo’s shoe designs are feminine, elegant and sensuous. He likes using crystalline hues, aqua, bright orange, fuchsia and drenches all sorts of luxurious fabrics in such colors. In addition to this, for his designs he has used an array of stones, from Swarovski to natural crystals having healing powers. His stilettos have been described as deadly and dainty. According to Mr. Choo, shoes can be both comfortable and attractive at a time.

Mr. Choo is currently involved in the planning, development and creation of a shoemaking educational institute in his homeland Malaysia. Today, the designer has returned to the roots of his craftsmanship at a shop in London where he produces hand-made shoes and the site acts as the headquarters for the brand’s fashion design line. He also teaches people how to craft deluxe footwear. He became the spokesman for British Council in an attempt to reach out to international students and he also became footwear education ambassador at London College of Fashion.

Achievements

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  Jimmy Choo is one of the best known and most successful businessmen to come from Malaysia, as well as one of the most recognizable fashion designers. His net worth is estimated at about $50 million. Jimmy Choo shoes are worn by many popular celebrities, such as Madonna, Victoria Beckham, Halle Berry, Khloe and Kim Kardashian, Lindsay Lohan, Katherine Heigl, Cameron Diaz, Beyonce, Jessica Simpson, Kylie Minogue, and Jennifer Lopez.
  
  In 2000, he received a state award from the Sultan of his native state in Malaysia. This award bestowed upon him the title of Dato and commemorates his achievements. He has received several awards commemorating his status as a notable Malaysian designer, including recognition as the World's Outstanding Malaysian Designer in the 2001 Design for Asia Awards. He was honored with an Order of British Empire in 2002, to recognize his services to the fashion industry in the UK. His shoes have been worn by many members of the royal family.

Views

For Jimmy Choo, education is a key to success in life and along with manufacturing shoes.

Quotations: "I love the idea of couture and its emphasis on creation. There's where I made my name - in design - and there's where I'd like to stay."

"Sometimes I can't figure designers out. It's as if they flunked human anatomy."

"A designer knows he has achieved perfection not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away."

"The right shoe can make everything different."

"The artist in me cries out for design."

"You can design and create, and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it takes people to make the dream a reality."

"It’s a beautiful, distinctive art, and shoes are like the foundations. If the foundations aren’t right, the building won’t stand upright, and if a woman’s balance isn’t right, nothing else is."

"After all, it's very important for any big-name designer to have a couture range. I leave the ready-to-wear to my partner and team."

Connections

Mr. Choo is married to Rebecca Choo (née Choi) from Hong Kong. The couple have a son, Danny, and a daughter, Emily. A niece of the couple, Lucy Choi, followed in her uncle's footsteps by becoming a shoe designer.

Father:

Choo Kee Yin

Wife:

Rebecca Choo

Son:

Danny Choo

Daughter:

Emily Choo

niece:

Lucy Choi